The end. Amen.

Its the last day of 2010 and its time to get those resolutions going. I always struggle with making resolutions because we all know 99% of resolutions aren't kept, but still, with the new year starting it doesn't hurt to make them...I guess.  Last year I read a blog about making lists, (of all things), and according to the author, a good list has no more than 6 items on it.  Whatever.  So here's my list:

• I'm not really making a list.

Sorry.  That was anticlimactic wasn't it?  I do have plans - the usual - eat better, lose weight, exercise, that sort of thing.  But for this first week of the New Year, I'm going to say that I'm going to avoid white foods.  Because I'm so addicted to sugar and carbs, I'm hoping that avoiding white foods (white flour, potatoes, rice, etc.) will get me over that habit of rummaging through the cupboards looking for something sweet.  Besides, as my coworker Barb says, "You do realize that carbs are mostly grains, and grains are what they give cattle to fatten them up."  That was like a light bulb moment for me.  Next week's menu is going to have a lot of veggies and fruits on it, just not white ones.  : )

And now for something completely different:

There are very few blogs I read on a daily basis.  I do read the ones that are listed over to the right quite regularly, but there are a few others that I go to a lot too.  You'll probably like them.

Need a good laugh?  Go check out Ugly Christmas Lights.  Lots of pictures of hideous Christmas lights that make you feel good about your own display of holiday splendor.  Or perhaps, they'll look similar to your own display.  Gasp!

I used to love going through open houses on Sundays just to see what other people's houses look like.  I also like movies (as you've probably detected) so imagine my elation at discovering Hooked on Houses! This woman has posts about  homes that are used in movies with a lot of backstory and bits of trivia as well.  One of my favorite posts there is about the movie White Christmas.  Go check it out.  Don't forget to check the section of Bad MLS photos.  These are pictures that realtors take of houses that are for sale. Funny stuff. 

More funny stuff.  Cake Wrecks, which I've mentioned before.  Professional cakes gone wrong - some of those are so hysterical that you have to wonder if people are really that stupid.  And yes, people really ARE that stupid. 

Here's a site to help with some of those resolutions everyone makes.  Sparkpeople, which is mostly for weight loss and exercise also has a section for helping with your budget.  The weight loss and exercise component is a lot like Weight Watchers only its free.  The budget section looks interesting and I may be exploring that in the next week or so.  Speaking of Weight Watchers, apparently they've changed up their program.  Again.  I've always spoken highly of WW as it doesn't tell you what to eat, and it teaches you how to eat a good, basic, healthy diet.  Some of their changes mean that foods, which have a point value according to their fiber, fat and calorie content, have changed in point value.  One good change:  fruit is now considered a free food, meaning there are no points.  An apple used to be 1 to 2 points depending on its size.  Anway, I don't know much more about it because I don't go there anymore.  But if you want to lose weight, WW is a really good program.  Go check it out if you need that weekly accountability.  Otherwise check out Sparkpeople. 

Whatever your plans are for ringing in the New Year, please be careful.  May 2011 bring lots of happiness and good health to you!

Distressed

Well, it has happened.  Its the end of the year and once again, I'm realizing that my New Years Resolutions from last year didn't happen.  Again.  I will be a glutton for punishment here and tell you what I didn't accomplish:

• I didn't run a 5k
• I didn't pay off all those bills

And there, that's about it, because that's the only resolutions I made.  So I had a 100% failure rate.  yay me. 

So why do I feel it necessary to make new resolutions for this next year?  Because its what we do. 

I stepped on the scale this morning and to my dismay, I discovered that I've gained 6 lbs.  (6 lbs!!!) in one week.  Yes, one week.  I must be stopped.  I'm so angry with myself because lets face it; no one forces me to eat, or to sit on the couch rather than exercise.  So I guess desperate times call for desperate measures, and I have to take action.  (literally and figuratively)  At this point it sounds like I'm overreacting to 6 lbs, but its those 6 lbs added on to the 15 that I've gained over the year that are really pissing me off. 

And once again, I'm going to be public about this in the hopes that it'll force me to be accountable.  Although, it didn't work all that well with the previous year's resolutions, I'll just be the eternal optimist and hope that this time, it does. 

In the next week or so, I'm going to come up with measurable, attainable goals that will give me something to shoot for. In the meantime, I HAVE to get moving.  Yada, yada yada.  Same old song, new verse. 

What's the dealio?

While doing my online Christmas shopping, I discovered a website that was new to me.  It's called Dealio.  It compares online prices of whatever you're looking for, and lists those deals with links to the websites.  Very handy.  Maybe you'll find it helpful too.