Winner.....

I know I am behind on posint, but I did want to at least post the winner of the contest! Da dada da daaaaaa.... Jenna Wood! Jenna, I will be emailing you to get you information!

Ladies, I have sooo much to say, it's been a long hard week, but I have some exciting updates for you! There is more to come, so stay tuned.

Congratualtions Jenna!

To Girdle or Not to Girdle... that is the question......

"I betchu money she's paid $500 for that dress and don't even bother to wear a girdle."
"Looks like 2 pigs fighting under a blanket."
"Well, I haven't left the house without Lycra on these thighs since I was 14."
"You were brought up right."

I know ya'll know where this came from, but girl, it got me to thinking.If you had some curves that couldn't quite be contained; was it a true statement? Did it really make that big of a difference? The answer, is yes. After watching an episode last year of Lifetime's (ya'll know I love some Lifetime!)"How to Look Good Naked"; I was really shocked at how much of a difference just a good fitting pair of panties and bra could make. And don't even get me started on the MAJOR difference a corset can create. I'm talking a whole size; at least.

Today's designers have come up with some options that truly showcase your curves and will make you feel not only slimmer, but sexy. Which as any woman who has weight issues knows, is so important. Spanx, Cacique, and Victoria's Secret, Gillian O'Malley (made by Victoria's Secret!!) all have come out with shape wear lines that will have you rocking a slimmer more stream lined look, all while keeping a sly smile knowing that you are walking a little taller, standing a little straighter, and not killing yourself sucking it in and not breathing.. umm, hellooo, breathe now.

Here's some tips on finding the perfect fitting bra.... and please, remember, bras, panties, and shape wear are the base of all of your outfits, if you are a frugal shopper, this is the one time you should give yourself permission to splurge. : )

Use a measuring tape to measure around your bare rib cage, just beneath your naked breasts. This number indicates the band size most appropriate for your figure.

Measure the widest part of your bust, sliding the tape around the middle of your back. Hold the tape as level as possible to ensure accuracy.

Note the difference between the two measurements. Use the following as a guide, and try on a range of sizes above and below your measurement: If your bust measurement is up to 1 /2 inch larger than your band size, then your cup size is an AA. A measurement of 1 /2 inch to 1 inch more than the band size indicates an A cup, 1 to 2 inches indicates a B cup, 2 to 3 inches indicates a C cup, 3 to 4 inches indicates a D cup, and 4 to 5 inches indicates a DD or E cup.

Select a range of bras according to your band and cup size.

Try on a bra. Place your hands through the straps and bend over to allow your breasts to fall into the cups. The cups should contain your breasts'unless you're trying a demibra or an enhancing bra'and should center your nipple in the fullest part.

Close the bra using the middle hook. Look for a band that fits snugly but doesn't cut into your rib cage. If it's too tight, try adjusting the hook closure before proceeding to a larger size.

Adjust the straps so the band fits comfortably under the breasts and around the rib cage. If the bra seems to slip forward, if you find yourself pulling up on the straps, or if it feels as if your breasts are falling out of the bottom of the cups, the band size is too big.

Check the fabric or bridge between your breasts. This should lie flat on the breastbone. If it sticks up or stabs your breastbone uncomfortably, try a larger cup size. If it puckers, try a smaller size.

Move up a cup size if your breasts bulge from the bra. Move down a size if you notice wrinkles in the cup material.

Til tomorrow.... and please breathe. No amount of sucking it in and holding it to look slimmer will matter if your face is turning blue and the veins on your neck are bulging out.

The Longest Journey Begins With A Single Step

Diets....Adkins, South Beach, Sugar Busters, Weight Watchers, you name it, honey I have tried it! And, I must admit, they all have had their good points. The kick, the down fall, the dead weight (pardon the pun), is that I wasn’t mentally ready. Oh, sure, I would gripe about my weight, swear that this time I really was going to do it, yada yada yada. All would be good, until I hit that magic 3 week mark. At 3 weeks, I was too tired to go to the gym today, wanted to sleep an extra 30 minutes instead of getting up to do the Yoga workout on Oxygen, had a new recipe I just had to try for a heavy, creamy pasta dish, you name it and baby I had an excuse for it. Instead of picking back up, it was always, I will start fresh next week……

Back in the winter, my local gym started a Biggest Loser competition. You had to go through medical testing, Q&A with the trainers, and an information session. I decided to try out. I actually made it! I was super excited… but then I thought, wow, why am I excited to be chosen to do Biggest Loser? So, I dropped out, the Friday before it started on Saturday, in February and have been at a standstill since. Now, I have heard that to truly make it work, you must be mentally ready to do it, you must hit that rock bottom. Well, last night after eating a dinner of roast beef, a big ole baked potato with sour crème, a broccoli with cheese, and going back for seconds on the roast beef and broccoli, while watching “Biggest Loser”, I hit it. For the rest of the night (about 3.5 hours) and even when I got up this am, I was MISERABLE!!! Do you hear me… MISERABLE!!! I felt bloated, and my chest hurt. I got to work this morning and had one of the guys (he’s a volunteer fireman) take my blood pressure. All I could think of was, if I fall out, these guys are gonna have to tout me down the steps. I am happy to say that my blood pressure was 111/83. I am not happy to report that my stats are as follows… I am 34 years old, I am 5’2, I wear a size 18/20 pants, and I currently weigh 231 pounds. There…. I said it, it’s out there, and I’m gonna cry now. I seriously can remember a time when I was freaking out about hitting 150… then about 175, then about 200. Today, I can honestly say, I believe I would welcome any of those numbers with open arms.

I invite you to follow along with my journey, as I am sure it will be long and painful. I will weigh in once a week, every Tuesday, and I will post a photo later today. My hope is that I can post some helpful info on nutrition, recipes, and fitness. No, I’m not certified in any of this, however you don’t get this big, and not know what the right darn things to do are… Trust me… I can probably recite the Points value of many foods, and tell you that a hour long Zumba class burns 750 calories on average. If you struggle with your weight, you know what I mean. In an effort to bring awareness.. I’m having a Give Away…. Let me know what your favorite weight loss or fitness tip is for 1 entry, become a follower on blogger for 2 entries; mention me on your blog and get 3… you know the drill. The prize... will be "Skinny Italian" by Teresa Guidice, and a fun workout dvd to get you jump started. The book.. well, it will give you a whole new outlook on Italian cooking, trust me, this ain't your mama's lasagna!It truly does have some fabulous healty recipes and some great tips!!

Beautiful Beginnings, Effortless Endings, but where's the middle?

So, as my Easter crowd grows, year after year, I find I am able to enjoy everyone less and less. You see, in the past it has been a more formal affair of the linen, the good crystal and my china. Alas, I only have a place setting for 8, meaning that as in all of our family functions, the men eat first, while the women wait and wash dishes. Now I am a lover of tradition just as much as the next girl, but we also normally celebrate my birthday on Easter and last year it actually was my birthday! Mounds of dishes just aren't my idea of fun! So, I went to the etiquette expert herself, Miss. Janice (http://etiquettewithmissjanice.blogspot.com/)and asked if I could remain socially acceptable by using some gorgeous disposables I found. Imagine my delight when she told me that I COULD!!!

In my continued effort to make it of a remember able fun afternoon, I have decided (gasp!!) that I will not only be using disposables, but that I will not be having a sit down meal. No, I have put together a lovely little menu of hors d'oeuvres, a fabulous dessert bar, an afternoon of fun and games (croquet, target shooting, horse shoes and a softball finale.)wrapping the evening up with a coffee bar. In my excitement over my little plans, I asked my brothers if they would rather have mini ham biscuits or mini barbeque's and they gave me a less than favorable response of "sounds good & fun, but what are we really having?" They sounded so distraught, that I mentioned that if they would do the dishes I would reconsider. Hmmmm, suddenly ham biscuits, horse shoes and pecan pie didn't sound so bad.

Welcome to Sweetie's!