A new love affair or How my Kindle stole me away from Mr. Potts

It was love at first look, for me and the Kindle.

When Mr. Potts and I were on our way to Barbados for our honeymoon a man on the plane beside us had one. He let me hold it. Let.me.hold.his.kindle.

Mr. Potts must have known at that point that I was hooked. That I would "Have To Have One!" at some point in time.

I was patient. I didn't expect one, but I was decidedly excited about getting one for myself. Until he surprised me with it.

I've loved it ever since. It goes everywhere with me.

To the gym, on the plane, in the car, to the hotel...in bed with me!

I love the ease of use.

I love touching the "Next Page" button and having it pop up immediately. I love that it takes "naps" if I'm gone too long - Hey, I would take a nap EVERY day if I could!

I love being able to bookmark a page. I like that I can add notes about particular passages or places in the book.

Quite frankly, I'm thrilled. I can't say enough how much I love this.

I love having so many books at my fingertips (quite literally) at any moment.

The battery will last for over 2 weeks with the wireless turned off. I believe I can even (gasp!) blog from it if needed!!

So there you have it - the love affair with my Kindle. Let me know if you have any questions I can answer about it for you.

Happy Thursday!! Aren't you glad Friday is almost here? Seems like the last two weeks my life has been "Where in the World is Mrs. Potts?". I'm uber excited to go home tomorrow!!

Where in the World Wednesday

Each week Classy in Philadelphia hosts Where in the World Wednesday and I always try to participate in that & in The Seattle Smith's Wishful Wednesday. My brain is worn out & fuzzy & I'm drawing a big, fat blank today for Where in the World Wednesday so I'm taking it easy on myself and using a picture that I love, even though I'm not traveling, per se.

Mr. Potts & I were in Charlotte for one of our good friend's 40th birthday celebration. He & his now wife had rented out a nice spot, so it was a good chance to get all prettified.

Fun times! I really liked how long my hair was there, too.

Head on over to Classy in Philadelphia's to participate in Where in the World Wednesday.

Tuesday's Traveler

Another week is here & I'm back in New England. I thought with the travel I've been doing it would be nice to bring back Tuesday's Traveler. I've talked about how I travel best (best being best for me) and how I stay on the diet/fit train.

Too often I've seen the worst of people when traveling: Angry travelers yelling at customer service agents when flights are delayed, irritated passengers calling a flight attendant a "Stupid Chink" (and YES, I have heard that & was shocked), self-entitled people delaying takeoff because they just don't understand that "all electronic devices need to be turned off" includes their electronic devices.

Sometimes we all need a reminder of the saying, "Honey catches more flies than vinegar."

The person on the other side of the counter is still a person

Many of us, at some point in time, have been in a customer facing role. Helping people, answering questions, working with our customers.

So why does it seem that when we're on the other side of that customer fence we suddenly lose all sense of decency & humanity?

Was it the person working at the ticketing desk's fault that weather in New England delayed or even canceled flights? Not unless they were working that secret witch doctor voodoo.

Knowing that I (nor anyone else) has any personal control over the weather keeps a scowl off of my face (sometimes I manage a smile) & a little lilt in my voice when working to get re-booked on a flight. You know, Mama always reminded me to use the honey & not the vinegar. She was always right about this.

Did the rude woman who stood in a line that wasn't really a line really need to yell at the desk agent? Not at all. Did she get helped before me? Nope. Did I yell at the agent? Nope - remember, honey. Re-booked on a flight, quick as you can, with a good seat to boot.

I bet he had a little voodoo doll under the counter for all the nasty people he was dealing with yesterday. Bet there wasn't a pin stuck in it for me!

Just because you're upset or irritated or inconvenienced, remember, the person on the other side of that counter is still a person & is doing their best to help you.

Until you call them names or yell at them. At which point the pick up the voodoo doll hidden below the counter & violently stab it with their pen.

My advice? Stay calm. Explain your situation & ask if they can help you. Say "Please" and "Thank You."

You may just find that your charm & smile could result in a better seat. Or maybe it just brings a smile to the face of the person helping you. I bet that will make you smile.

Where did the weekend go?

Fabulous Friday was a no go this past week. I was getting ready to leave Boston & fly home. After being gone since Sunday night, I just couldn't bring myself to hunt up a Fabulous Friday edition. I did, however get in an awesome workout!

Saturday drifted by in such a blur with a busy day for Mr. Potts & me. We spent the afternoon/evening celebrating a one of our favorite couple's daughter's third birthday.

A little DVR action, some yummy food, wrapped up in our favorite blankets & Saturday was gone!

We enjoyed a wonderful salad tonight (something new that I took a whirl at) along with some yummy homemade chicken pan pie (let me know if you'd like the chicken pan pie recipe).

The salad is definitely something I'll do again and was inspired by a salad I had in Boston at my hotel.

Grilled Pear Salad

Ingredients

• 1 Pear
• Goat Cheese
• Pecans or Walnuts (my holiday spiced ones would be good)
• Bag of Salad mix (I like the Butter blend)
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Cinnamon
• Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing

Directions

• Slice Pear into quarters & then into slices
• Lightly toss pear slices with Balsamic Vinegar
• Heat non-stick pan over medium heat and lightly coat with cooking spray
• Place pears into pan & lightly sprinkle with cinnamon
• Stir frequently to ensure pears don't stick or burn
• Remove pears from heat once they begin to turn tender & serve over mixed greens, goat cheese & nuts.
• Use Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing to taste

Super yummy & super fast!!!

Someone kept me awake last night & it wasn't Mr. Potts

The joys of traveling for work.

Going to new cities can be fun. You definitely get to see new sights & people.

Going to new restaurants can be fun (unless you're seriously trying to lose weight, then it becomes a little tricky). You get to try new places you've never eaten & possibly new foods.

Staying in hotels can sometimes be fun. You have your own personal housekeeper, which in a way is fairly accurate. You leave in the morning & when you return you have a freshly cleaned room. *POOF* Like Magic!

Sometimes, however, you just want to be home. Seeing the same people you see on a regular basis.

Sometimes you don't want to eat in a restaurant for every meal. You want to sit down at your own table, eat off of your own plates & eat food that you prepared.

Sometimes you want to sleep in your own bed in your own home with your own comforter pulled up nice & cozy.

Last night was one of those nights for me.

I was settled in, with my pillow fixed - the only pillow in the room that wasn't feather. And I have to admit, I can't stand feather pillows. I always wake up in the middle of the night with a feather poking me in the face. Not fun!

I'm woken up in the middle of the night.

To snoring. Loud, chainsaw snoring.

I reach over to nudge Mr. Potts and tell him to turn over.

Only Mr. Potts wasn't there. Remember? Sleeping in a hotel room.

Instead, I had a man on the other side of the hotel wall cutting down an entire forest with his snoring.

Incredibly loud snoring.

I tried calling out to the man to, "turn over" to no avail.

I tried banging my headboard against the wall only to realize that it would sound like I was having a wild night in a hotel room.

I didn't care at this point.

At some point, my body decided it could sleep through this and I went back to sleep.

Tonight, I look forward to a new hotel & hopefully new hotel neighbors who don't have a problem with chainsaws in the middle of the night.

Wednesday Double Treat

Since I think both Classy in Philadelphia and The Seattle Smith's have Wonderful Wednesday Play Along's I like to participate in both.

So, to start, we'll head over to The Seattle Smith's for Wishful Wednesday. In honor of the Golden Globes Kelsey had us lusting over our favorite gowns.

"I wish"... I could have worn the gown that Heidi Klum wore at the 67th Annual Golden Globes!

I have to say, I loved everything about what Heidi wore - the dress, the clutch, the hair, the makeup, the body (hello 4 kids!).

Next up? Classy in Philadelphia's Where in the World Wednesday.
This picture is from my first trip to Maine two years ago when I first started this job. It snowed so much during that trip that I knew I had to take a picture.

In the picture above you see me posed next to tables that were outside of a restaurant. That snow accumulated over the course of one day.

The white blobs you see in the picture? Snowflakes still falling!

Snow Day?

Do you all remember as children when the weather forecast would call for snow? Do you remember getting giddy & barely sleeping during the night in hopes that you'd wake up in the morning to a heavy 6 inches that would shut the city down, keep you out of school & allow you to build pitiful little snowmen that would promptly melt by 3pm?By the way, my snowmen never looked like this!

I remember getting excited when it would snow and I could drink hot chocolate with my mom while still in our PJ's at 11am.

I also remember the disappointment when the snow wouldn't come and we'd have to go to school anyway. As a side note, don't you think it only fair that if there is even the slightest chance that children will be out of school for snow that they should just go ahead & give them the day??

And while they're (whomever they are) at it, just go ahead & give adults the day off too?

Right now I'm in Maine watching the snow swirl around outside. Wondering how a Southern girl is going to navigate through all this & thankful that up here there are snowplows out regularly.

The snow looks something like this:
Happy Tuesday everyone! I think most of you in the South are staying warm - wish I was! I'm definitely in layers up here!

Lions & Tigers & DINOSAUR'S - Oh My!

This weekend we celebrated this little guys' third birthday.

There were dinosaurs galore.

When you walked in front of him, he roared at you.

Uncle Mr. Potts and sweet nephew had fun with dinosaur noses. ROAR!

He especially enjoyed the dinosaur balloon we brought for him.

A great birthday celebration was had by all.

I'm back in new England for the week & will be back again next week. Hoping to stay warm while I'm here.

Hope you all had a great weekend! Any dinosaurs in your adventures?

Fabulous Friday!

Happy Friday Everyone! It's here - another edition of Fabulous Friday! A highlight of all things fabulous that I've stumbled across over the course of this week (in no particular order, of course!) or even fond memories I have stored in my brain.

I thought I'd take today to highlight the wonderful giveaways going on in Blog land.

Classy in Philadelphia is hosting a giveaway for a chance to select a piece of jewelry from LuShae Jewelry, a company based in Australia. Make sure to head over to her blog today as the giveaway ends tomorrow!

New Year, New Do? Kelsey from The Seattle Smith's is hosting a giveaway for a chance to win a blog make over! As with Classy's, Kelsey's giveaway ends tomorrow so make sure you head over there for a chance to win.

Jennifer over at The Pink Chick is hosting a giveaway for a chance to win Perricone's Cold Plasma! This giveaway ends on Sunday, January 17th so make sure to get over there before then!

Mrs. Life Accounts over at The Life Accounts is hosting such a fabulous giveaway that I almost don't want to share it with you all. But I love you, so you're welcome!! She's including several items, but my two absolute favorites are a signed copy of the Pioneer Woman's cookbook & a set of 7 amazing spice jars from Gneiss Nice Spice! This giveaway ends next Friday, January 22nd so make sure to get yourself over there before then!

Finally, XOXOYVONNE is hosting a a mega giveaway with too many things to list here, but includes Bumpit's & a Turbo Twist! This giveaway closes on January 20th, so you've still got time, but not much!!

Happy Friday everyone! What wonderful giveaways or other exciting things have you discovered this week?

I'll Be There - II

I lived in the Cape Fear River area (Wilmington, NC) during & after Hurricane Floyd & witnessed it's devastation of the area I called home.

I've personally witnessed the aftermath (2 months after the fact) of Hurricane Katrina on a city I loved & called home. I saw the markings on the houses telling how high the water had risen & how many had been lost.

Seeing what people are going through in Haiti breaks my heart again & unleashes that empathy that causes me to cry at commercials.

However you can help, I encourage you to do so.

Here are some organizations accepting donations:

• InterAction has a list of agencies responding and how to donate to them. Find it here

• To donate $10 to the American Red Cross, text Haiti to 90999. The amount will be added to your next phone bill. The organization is also accepting donations through its International Response Fund.

• To donate $5 to Wyclef Jean's Haitian Yele charity, text 501501. The money will be added to your next phone bill.

• To find out how to help the International Rescue Committee, visit their webpage or call toll free, 1-877-REFUGEE.

• Donate through Oxfam's emergency appeal

• UNICEF: Visit www.unicefusa.org/haitiquake or call 1-800-4UNICEF.

Yes, But...

I was slightly shocked (in a good way) by the emails and comments I received yesterday. I didn't expect so many of you to be dealing with the same kind of funk.

I did a lot of thinking about it yesterday and realized that for me, there were several factors contributing to the funk I was in. You may recognize some of the same ones in your life.

The holidays are over

I know that I love holiday time. I love any reason to celebrate the special things in life. So when January sets in & my world loses just a little bit of it's shine, I miss it.

I miss the softly glowing lights on the houses. I miss the tree so pretty & lit up. I miss the insane happiness that comes with the holidays. I also miss the inner glow that so many people tend to exhibit - the niceness that the holiday season tends to bring out in most people.

Yep, people are back to their grumpy selves. Their, push you out of the way, try to walk faster than you to get on the cardio machine, not let you out in traffic, grumpy selves.

And you know that grump carries over. It's like osmosis of the grump.

Do I have to let it affect me? Not at all. So my answer to the person who tries to speed walk their way past me to get to the cardio machine? Yes, you can have that machine, but I'm still going to work out.

To the drivers stuck in a parking lot? Yes, that person may not have let you out, but I will.

The holidays are over

This means the resolutioners are out in full force. This is also the time of year that some of us (me) tend to look at our health (my body) and see the bad (or the just downright scary).

Sometimes that look can turn into a glare of self loathing.

Yet why? Shouldn't we embrace what our bodies do for us? They carry us through the day.

Landlocked Mermaid had a post yesterday that really touched me. This piece of her post yesterday seemed to reach out & grab my hand to make me really focus on what it said.

When you love someone they are perfect. Even their most obvious flaw is forgiven. There is no need to waste time on things that take away from inner beauty.
I am challenging all of you to do just that. Love yourselves as though there was no time to find faults. No time to pick out mistakes.
Focus on the pretty. The joy that radiates from your hearts. The love that surrounds your life.

LM, I'm focusing on the pretty. When I looked in the mirror this morning I noticed that my stomach is bloated. My answer to that thought? Yes, your stomach may be bloated but it held a plank for over a minute this morning.

I really took what she wrote to heart & I hope that you all will too. We're not perfect, but we still need to love ourselves.

So when you have a negative thought or find yourself in a funk, what will your "Yes, But" be?

Shopping Pick Me Up?

I just scored this pretty (in luggage) from Editor's Closet & can't wait to receive it!

If anyone would like an invitation to this shopper's dream, let me know!

I don't know what it is, but I got home last night in a funk & woke up this morning in a funk & can't seem to snap out of it. I'm what Mr. Potts would call a Grumpy McGrumpster (and I know I have no reason to be!).

I'm pretty sure my funk this morning was from not sleeping well (I never sleep well when the bedroom is hot) - which meant I missed my early morning workout - which means I have to brave the gym after work.

Poor Mr. Potts has borne the brunt of this & while I know it isn't right, it does seem like he catches most of my irritable moods. Most likely because he is the person nearest (& dearest) to me.

I'm thinking of picking this up for my mom in black. Thoughts, feedback? She is in desperate need of a new handbag.
Hope you all are having a "Funk Free" Tuesday!

The Celebratory Weekend Recap Edition

Mr. Potts and I definitely felt like celebrating once 5pm hit on Friday (see last post) & so we planned for a nice weekend.

Friday evening's dinner was a penne pasta/turkey sausage/peppers/onion bake with two bottles of red wine. Yes, two. We were both feeling happy. Dinner was amazing and we caught up on Season 2 of Weeds. LOVE THAT SHOW!!!

Saturday morning I went to get my hair done. It was supposed to be last weekend, but since we were in the mountains I had to push back a bit. My hairdresser is fabulous & always takes great care of me! She was impressed with how much my hair has grown in 9 weeks - about 2 inches. Normal? I'm not sure.

Saturday evening I made Osso Buco (with lamb instead of veal) for 2 couples who came over to hang out. They didn't know I'd gotten a promotion, so our dinner turned into quite the celebration.

The Osso Buco was FABULOUS (I mean, seriously, seriously YUM!) and everyone enjoyed it. We managed to go through 9 bottles of red wine catching up with everyone - three bottles were consumed playing a wine game called Winerd. Which Mr. Potts & his partner CHEATED at. Shame on them!

Yesterday while still thinking about how great the Osso Buco was, I realized that I could easily begin drawing out a weekly menu & sharing it with you. So, below you'll find mine. Let me know if you're interested in any of these.

Monday: Salad with grilled chicken, diced apples & pears, crumbled goat cheese & pecans. Light Balsamic Vinaigrette drizzled over it.

Tuesday: Panera Bread Black Bean Soup

Wednesday: Southwestern Steak & Pinto Beans - this is one of Mr. Potts' signature dishes that he can make while I'm at Cardio Sculpt.

Thursday: Homemade Chicken & Dumplings

Not sure about the rest of the week, but we may have more soup or salads.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Fabulous Friday!

Happy Friday & welcome to another edition of Fabulous Friday! Normally I highlight all the fabulous things I've stumbled across this week. Today's will be a little different as I have some wonderful news to share that totally trumps anything else that would have made this edition.

But first, I have to share a few pictures with you. I'm sure I'll regret this first picture later.

I mentioned a few posts back that I should take a picture of myself at 4:30 in the morning before I leave for the gym. Well, here you go. All my glorious sleepiness captured for you all to look at & shake your head over. Go ahead, it's ok. I shook my head too. At least I smiled for you!

This morning's workout was great & surprisingly the gym was not crowded. I wonder if my resolutioners are falling off the proverbial wagon early this year? Or maybe it was just too freaking cold to get up this morning!

I realized yesterday that I haven't shared any pictures of Mr. Potts & my New Year's Eve celebration. We went to a friend of our's house (who conveniently live 2 miles away) to ring in the new year by playing game, snacking & sipping in our PJ's!

We had the best time & the nice part was that when we got home, we only needed to brush our teeth & wash our faces & go to bed. Lovely!

Mr. Potts wore his IU puffy slippers.

I held up his leg to get a good shot of his slippers.

Ready for my fabulous news?

I'm being promoted!!

I have been working to get to this point for many years and am so thrilled that my hard work has paid off! My boss believes in me & went to her boss to tell him what she wanted. He agreed with her - they both think I'm awesome!!

So, my new title will be Man*ger, Organizati*nal Devel*pment (or something along those lines).
Sorry for the stars, I just don't want this to pop up when someone googles that title.

I'm so freaking excited! Ecstatic!!

Happy Friday everyone!!!
What have you happened upon that is fabulous this week - or have any of you had something fabulous happen?

An Award for Moi

I have to say that last night's Cardio Sculpt class may very well be the best one I've ever been to. I felt strong, I felt sassy (crazy to feel that way in an exercise class, but I did!) & I totally kicked that class' butt!!

My resolutioners were out in full force, but lucky for me, I pulled into the parking lot and found an amazing parking space! It was the kind of spot Mr. Potts & I would call Rock Star Parking.

Ashley over at Kiwis & Cocktails awarded me the Glamourous Blog Award. There aren't any rules associated with this award, so to make it fun, I'm going to award this & describe how I envision my first meeting with these lovely ladies. (a la MCW).

1. Brown Eyed Girl - I see us meeting in Charleston (because who doesn't LOVE Charleston) and walking through the historic distric before heading to a rooftop bar & having a cocktail while taking in all the sights.

2. Brittany from Living in the Moment - We'd meet up for a high energy cardio class (only she wouldn't be teaching it) & we'd laugh our way through it, turning to look at each other as if saying, "WTH?". We'd wrap that up & then sip on a smoothie outside in the sunshine.

3. Susannah from The Edwards Edition - She'll be right there with b.e.g. & me in Charleston, walking around, enjoying the sun & sipping drinks on the rooftop.

4. Brittany from Molly Lou Gifts - We'd meet up in a quaint city in SC somewhere & find stationary stores to wander through. I'd lean in to admire something & she'd lean in to tell me how marked up it is. Then we'd laugh, leave the store & high tail it to a coffee shop where we could sit outside in the sun (are you noticing a theme here with sunshine?) & enjoy our chat.

5. Brittany from Notes From the Grove - Since Brittany (notice another theme here with the names?) is out in Boise, I see her taking me under her wing (somehow I envision her as taller than me & as if she'd act like my older sister [although I don't have one]) and teach me how to ski or snowboard. I'd end up falling a ton & Brittany, concerned that I'd have to leave in a body cast would coax me into taking a break to drink spiked hot chocolate by a roaring stone fire place. Mr. Potts & Brent could ski all they want while we chatted away.

6. Kimmie from Full Circle - Kimmie & I would spend the day baking cookies & icing them. Once we were done, we'd venture to her outdoor living area (I may be embellishing a bit here) & we'd eat said cookies & watch Texas football.

7. Gwen from Confessions of a Control Freak - With her love of handbags, Gwen & I would quickly find the newest collections & ooh & ahh over the different bags. We'd pick them up & talk to them as if they were our babies. We'd laugh at each other & then move on to the next ones that catch our eye.

I'm ending at 7 simply because today is the 7th.

Happy Thursday! Aren't you glad the weekend is almost here?

Wishful Wednesday & Where in the World Wednesday

Wow - two in one (posts that is!!)

I couldn't skip out on Where in the World Wednesday or Wishful Wednesday, so I knew I'd need to have two posts in one & two posts in a day (seems to be a trend around here).

Let's start off with Classy in Philadelphia's Where in the World Wednesday, shall we?
The idea of WITWW is to post a picture of you in someplace in the world...it doesn't have to be somewhere foreign or tropical. Just a picture of you somewhere that you consider traveling.


My Where in the World Wednesday comes to you courtesy of the Norwegian Cruise Line's cruise that Mr. Potts & I went on to celebrate our first anniversary. Some of you may recognize this picture as the FIRST time Mr. Potts ate sushi! I KNOW - CRAZY!!!

Red face (me) courtesy of adult beverages & sun!

Next up? The Seattle Smith's Wishful Wednesday - isn't the new button spiffy? And really, who says spiffy anymore??
This week's Wishful Wednesday:
I wish I had Reese Witherspoon's or Jennifer Anniston's hair!

Now, I try, I really do to get my hair to look as close to their's as possible (and let's just be honest here, I wish I looked like either of them too!), but with the natural wave/cowlicks (yes there are TWO of them)/widow's peak/humidity I'm destined for failure 80% of the time.

Resolutioners or Why I get up at 4:30 in the morning

First I want to thank you all for the wonderful suggestions you've left me for Mr. Potts' 35 for 35. He absolutely LOVED the fleece last night - so much so that he put it on right away to "model" for me (I'm wearing off on him!).

Several of you asked yesterday how I get up at 4:30am to go to the gym. Let me tell you, it is hard. And it isn't pretty. I pray every time I get there that I won't run into anyone I know - cause I look ROUGH.

I don't do this every day - if I did, I would me a miserable, mean, grumpy witch. I do, however, make a concentrated effort to do this a few times a week, especially during January, February, April & May (more on why I concentrate on these particular months in a few).

How do I do it? I pick the days that I know I won't go to a group exercise class. I try to make sure I'm in bed by 9:30pm so I can fall asleep by 10pm.

Some days I turn the alarm off & go back to sleep. Others I lay there & give myself a pep talk, "If you don't get up, you'll need to go after work & you had errands to run then."

Again, it is hard. And not for everyone. (I should take a picture to show you how rough it is in the morning - maybe tomorrow)

So why do I do it & why do I concentrate more on certain months? Well, it comes back to people I have dubbed "Resolutioners". You know the ones. The people who make resolutions to lose 5 pounds in two weeks.

Resolutioners are the ones who clog our gyms after work during the month of January and into February. They're the ones who make the wait for the treadmills, the ellipticals, the stair climbers, the free weights and the choice spots in group classes just obscene.

They're the people who want to commit to making a healthy change, but just can't keep it up - most likely because their resolutions were unrealistic.

But what about April & May, you may ask.

Well, they're resolutioners too. They resolve to lose 10 pounds in order to fit into their bathing suits, look good on vacation or to get ready for the lake or the beach.

They're on the fit train. Until they run out of steam (Mr. Potts would groan at that pun!).

They also make the gym a miserable place to be after work. Especially when the gym you frequent is one of the nicer ones in the city. With the best equipment & cardio classes. Located right downtown where most people work.

All of these reasons are why I try to wake up at 4:30am & go work out.

The thing is, I don't resent the resolutioners. Not one bit. Let's be honest. We've all been there. Perhaps not on January 1st, but at some point each of us has taken an honest look at ourselves and how we're treating our bodies and realized that we need to make a life change.

Some of us have successfully made that change, while others are still working on it.

One of these women is a co-worker of mine. She pulled me aside yesterday and asked how I've done it. How did I incorporate exercise into my life & how I've lost the weight I have. She further shared with me that she's lost about 20 pounds by starting a doctor supervised appetite suppressant program, but that she's being weaned off of the pills.

She shared with me that she is scared, but wants to continue losing - she wants to make that life change. In the minute it took her to tell me that, my frustration with the resolutioners went out the window. Most of us struggle with making that kind of change. Here she was asking for help.

I shared with her that it isn't easy and I shared some of what I've learned.

And I offered to take her with me to Cardio Sculpt tonight.

Because, while she's a resolutioner, she's also committed to changing. Just like I did a few months ago.

Happy Cardio Sculpt Day!! I have to psych myself up for that class.

35 for 35

I'm so excited! With Mr. Potts turning 35 this year, I knew I wanted to make it a big deal, but besides THE TRIP (which we're actually rolling into a dual birthday celebration/regular vacation) I wasn't sure what else I wanted to do until my mind drifted to this.

To celebrate each year of his life, I'm giving Mr. Potts 35 gifts. They may be big, they may be small, they may be home made or home cooked or nights out.

I figured this would give me 35 chances to surprise the man that took me by surprise and changed my life.

The present I'll give him tonight will be The North Face Khumbu Fleece jacket. When we took our first trip to Key West (remind me to tell you THAT story!) he ended up losing his fleece & never replaced it. Since it is frigid here, what a great "birthday" present, right?

Any suggestions on other gifts that I can surprise him with through the year?

When did the gym get so wild?

The alarm went off at 4:30 this morning. I looked at it in disbelief, I mean, how did my sleep time pass so quickly?

I turned it off & laid there for a moment, because really, it was warm & cozy in my bed & I knew the temperature outside would only be in the high teens. Ick. No way did I want to get up & go out in that, but get up & go out in that I did.

I got to the Y & got started on my cardio when someone claimed the machine beside me. I glanced over to see who it was and it was the same woman from last week - Mrs. "I cover the timer on the elliptical so you can't see I've been on it for way over the 30 minute maximum when people are waiting" Stinky Pants.

It appears that last night's dinner agreed with her tummy more so than last weeks.

I thought all would be fine. I made sure my earbuds were securely in and the cord shortened up (you see, sometimes I can be THAT person who accidentally flings their iPod across the gym cause it got caught by the swinging arm of the machine - or their own elbow) and settled in with my Kindle (review coming soon) to read & work out.

Getting into my groove. Upping the resistance to 8. Upping the incline (I LOVE the climbing ellipticals!) to 12. I was MOVING!

When I hear what sounds like an angry bear cub beside me! Or perhaps a huffing dog - you know the sound - like they've got a little cough. Only this sounded like a 400lb dog coughing.

Looking over, I realize it was Mrs. Stinky Pants. Doing some sort of huffing while working out. I'm not sure what caused it or why she felt the need to be so loud, but she seemed ok - I mean, she wasn't swaying on the elliptical or anything.

Digging back into my Kindle I tried to focus on how hard I was working. Every few minutes I'd hear the huffing again & look over at her. It was startling. I do have one thing to be thankful for: at least she wasn't gassing me out.

Happy Tuesday!

A whirlwind weekend

Mr. Potts & I returned today from a weekend visit with his dad & step-mom in Cashiers. They're owners in The Registry Collection there and we try to go see them when they're in town. It's an easy 3 hour trip to see them there, rather than an 8 hour drive.

Our first night there (brrr...it was COLD!) we ate at The Gamekeepers Tavern which was phenomenal! I had an Osso Buco special that totally rocked my world! Mr. Potts had the Double Cut New Zealand Lamb Chops which were wonderful. I'm on a mission now to find an Osso Buco recipe that could come close to the perfection I had. If you have any recommendations or recipes you'd like to share, Mr. Potts (and I) would be very grateful!

It was so nice to be in the mountains. It was cold outside & we cozied up in front of the fire and watched football and chatted.

When we left this morning, I booked it down the mountain & got us home in under three hours. Several bad drivers out today, but they just got a "Thumbs Down" - I was too happy to tell them to "Have a Nice Day."

We went on our annual "Return to Steinmart" trip that we take every year. We tried this year to find a nicer store so that hopefully we wouldn't still walk out with over $200 worth of credit. I know that could sound ungrateful & I appreciate any gifts that we are given, but I wish that some gifts would be giftcards. To Sephora, Amazon, Target, etc.

I found a bag that I'll use for traveling (rather than take my nicer ones as the travel is a bit hard on them). It is a Steve Madden in a deep purple (eggplant maybe?) that I think will work well. Looks very similar to this one, only not patent.

We also headed to our local mall to exchange a few shirts for him & look for a new coat for me. All the travel I've done over the last 7 years have really banged up my coat that I've used for cold weather. It looks very similar to this one, only in a dark gray. I was very pleased with my finds today.

How was your weekend? Are my resolution makers still our there?