The Beginning of the DIET

Today is the first day of my diet and workout plan. So far I haven’t had anything that was really nutrious for me unless pizza rolls and and a turkey, cheese, cracker, and butterfinger lunchable is nutrious. I did however workout for 15 minutes on the elipitcal machine. I really hate having to eat only certain things, but I’m not sure if I’m going to really worry about the diet part. The working out is more important to me right now than what I eat since I don’t really eat all that much and most of it, with the exception of today are vegetables.

My plan is to lose 15 pounds. I don’t have a time limit on doing so or anything, but just to get back into my size 1 pants is enough for me. I really just need to lose my ass. Somehow it started growing and not sure why. I know, it sounds funny and all, but I can’t help it. My ass literally will not fit into my jeans anymore. It expanded from a size 0 up to a size 9 in about a year. I didn’t change anything in my diet other than adding more vegetables and less soft drinks. Maybe its rebelling against me. I’m down to a size 4 now and have been more active and working out here and there plus it is summer. I do alot of walking in the summer and spend alot of time outdoors. My last job had me doing alot of walking and bending and now that I’m working at home again I’m afraid I’m going to gain all those inches back. So the next best thing for me is to work out on the eliptical machine as much as I can in between writing articles for clients.

So other than just working on some new projects for clients I’ve been working on my novel. Basically it is a “my life thus far” type of book but labeled fiction (for now). It’s been a work in progress for about two years now and it really hasn’t made much progress. I want to have atleast 75 pages by the end of this year. Good quality pages, not the stuff that is on the pages as I speak.

Let it Rain – Let it Pour

Today is a lucky day for the area around here! It’s pouring down rain! I love the rain and we are in such a great need of it. Our grass is brown and crunchy – not what grass should be.

So far today, not much has really gotten done around here other than the bed was made up, laundry was caught up, the dishes were loaded in the dishwasher, and a few emails were replied to and oh my Lord, I posted a ton on AW today. So yeah, I guess some did get done. I feel so tired today. It’s raining outside and I guess it’s just one of those days. You know, one of those “lazy” days.

Dieting Update:

My diet is going pretty well. I’ve lost 4 pounds. Of course it’s not just the dieting – I think it’s probably also the exercise. What type – I’ll never tell.

This post may not be as long as the others over this last week. I feel drained. So far I have quite a few questions ready to present during my interview with Freekibble and can’t wait to get started on it. I do however want to have a few more questions just to make sure that I can make at least a 600 word article. I have been contemplating on whether to pitch my artilce idea else where since I would be giving up all my rights to this article as well as it is very low paying. I’m not sure I want to give up all my rights and that is more important at the moment than the money is. I’ll have it all figured out in a day or two… I hope.

I have also had a great idea for another blog that I would love to make a bit of cash from. I’m not really sure how I could do that, but maybe I can figure that out as well in my free time. Well, enough writing for now. I’m going to go relax and maybe post another later.

All Rights Reserved! © 2008 December M. Raynes

Tuesday – A Brand New Day!

Today is a rainy day – I’m so happy! Well, my plans for today are as follows. Post for some quotes and information on AbsoluteWrite.com and I have received a lot of great feedback. I want to thank the ones who have posted responses to my post. Thank You! 

I have a lot of great ideas and watching the news last night just added a few more to my list. They won’t be full feature articles or anything of that such, but they will be quick tips, list, and filler articles. The easy of the easy, and a great way for me to start.

My list of things to do today isn’t really all that long.
1. Update my Blog (doing it now)
2. Delete/Organize the hundreds of emails (Completed)
3. Post more requests on AW (Completed)
4. Answer Emails (Completed)
5. Finish 2 Parenting Fillers (Half Completed)
6. Clean the Fridge (Completed)
7. Enjoy the Rain (Yay, finally it’s raining!)
8. Work on getting all of the info for my “Is There a Control Freak in Your Marriage” article. (Almost Done)
9. Start up another Filler on Parenting (Started)
10. Finish my “Being a Freelance Writer” article
11. Get the “FreeKibble.com” Profile article questions created
12. Query another magazine with my idea (Completed)
13. Update my FaceBook Profile (Completed)
14. Email Les Parrott, PhD back (Completed)

See 14 things aren’t that bad. Now it’s just getting them all done. So far I’ve posted quite a bit on AW, so maybe I can relax on that issue. Answering emails and getting my profile article in order is probably the most important right now.

Well I posted on AW and oh wow, I couldn’t believe the responses I got and the amount. It was awesome.

Below is an email I got from a dear friend of mine… Read, enjoy, and laugh your arse off!

Today is International Disturbed People’s Day

Please send an encouraging message to a disturbed friend… just as I’ve done.

I don’t care if you lick windows,
take the special bus
or occasionally pee on yourself..
You hang in there sunshine, you’re friggin’ special.

Every sixty seconds you spend angry, upset or mad, is a full minute of happiness you’ll never get back.

Today’s Message of the Day is:

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you smile.

Send to all the people you love and don’t want to lose in 2008, even me.
If you get 3 back, you are a great friend.
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we’re here we should dance.

© 2008 UpSideDownGrl

Saturday Morning Bright and Early

Well, it’s the weekend and my hunny has went into to work for a few hours and I got up earlier than usual. Today I have quite a few things I want to get done. I’m sitting in my comfy place in the living room sipping on coffee (and enjoying it since I have no more creamer) and don’t feel like going out and picking any up right now.

My List
1- Finish my outline of my Parenting Article.
2- Find an expert and ask them a few questions.
3- Project hunt yet again.
4- Finish Jenna Glatzer’s book.
5- Read thru a few magazines and pick up a few parenting magazines at the store.
And thats about it I think other than maybe go shopping to pick up a few needed things. I guess I will just sit back and relax for most of the day along with trying to complete my 5 objectives I listed above.

My Articles

My parenting article is making some headway. Now to find an expert. I’m still waiting on a reply from the last expert on my “Control Freaks” article. He has not replied to my questions as of yet, but I know that he is probably very busy. I have so many article ideas to get in order and start querying to magazines and search for experts, info, and some quotes from some real day to day people.

Just a quick reflection of my life…

For some reason I just got a quick realization of my life. My life is well, good. I sit here looking over at my two cats laying in the window sill, and think about the man in life, my friends, and my career choice and of how supportive my man is of my career decision. I know he doesn’t like it one hundred percent, but he is still supportive.  I love him so much.

My Diet – Back on Track?

Breakfast: Eggo’s and coffee.
Lunch: Not really sure, but for Dinner we’re grilling out. I just received this in my email – Marinades Help Keep Grilled Meats Safe. We marinade all our meat that goes on the grill except for burgers, however I have a special way of making them. Take ground beef and place into bowl, add chopped yellow onions and a half of a cup of Bar-B-Q sauce. Mix together and form patties. Put them on the grill and cook til done. They are awesome.

Tonight we’re going to have Bar-B-Q chicken legs (I think).  This is a picture of the first Bar-B-Q chicken I ever cooked on the grill. We’ll have grilled corn on the cob to go with this as well and maybe some pasta salad. That is if it doesn’t rain. Looking outside at this moment it is dark, cloudy, and windy with the look and smell of rain on its way. I can’t really complain because we really do need the rain. Our grass is crunchy and brown and thirsting for moisture. A lot of people around where we live have their wells going dry so there is a great need of rain here in our area.

UPDATE: Okay so its the weekend. We didn’t cookout and my lunch wasn’t exactly the best thing to eat. It was a deep-fried chicken breast on way too much buttered toast with tons of mayo, lettuce, and tomato. And a side of tater tots. For dinner I had Pizza. I ate all the toppings off and the inside of the crust (my favorite part along with the pepperoni). Okay on Monday, I’ll start again although I did lose 2 pounds. I’m guessing I’ve gained it all back by now.

© 2008 UpSideDownGrl

I’m a BAD dieter – BAD BAD BAD!!!

Bad Dieter

Okay, it’s official, I’m a BAD dieter. I skipped breakfast yet again (2nd day in a row) and decided to chow down on fish sticks and steak fries. But on the upside, I weighed my self this morning and have lost 2 pounds & it’s a Friday, so why not eat the bad stuff, just for lunch, and have a salad for dinner?

Newest and Greatest!!! Voila, there it is!

New Article in the Works along with a Query Letter to Parenting Magazine. I’m so excited. I got this great idea and inspiration this morning while Googling “Adopting a Chinese Baby” and Voila! the idea took form and now its almost done. The article is nearly complete and I haven’t even sent out a query yet. I’m so psyched!

Today is my day off from writing on the Mon – Thurs projects so I am free to blog, search for new projects, and work on my queries and magazine articles. This weekend I have nothing planned, so there will be no rush on getting everything done today so I’ll have the weekend free. Which is a relief compared to other Fridays. I can take my time today, which is great.

Adoption

This morning I was searching online about adoption. Since it doesn’t seem that having a baby is in the cards for me, why not adopt. I googled “Adopting a Chinese baby” and came up with quite a few results. There are so many little Chinese girls that are in need of a loving home. Adoption is not a for certain thing, but it’s an option for us. We’re going to research, research, research as much as we can before we make a decision and who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky and get pregnant.

Does anyone have any great adoption stories from overseas or in this country? Please feel free to share.
© 2008 UpSideDownGrl

It’s another day

Well, yesterday I got quite a bit done. The client I was discussing in a previous post paid and we have it all straightened out. No harm, no foul. Anyway, today I have been applying for various writing gigs online and also preparing my interview questions for my “control freak” article. There is so much more to get done and it seems there is just not enough time in the day to do everything.

I have a lot of new ideas floating around in my head for articles. Now I just need to get them out of my head an onto some paper so that I can get them organized and in order. I have a few parenting, animals, writing, relationships, and health. All great topics, now to get them in order.

The Diet Issue

My boyfriend and I both are on a diet now. Last night I made just enough food basically for one person, and we split it. This morning, he said he felt really good and wants to keep eating small amounts. He says he wants to lose a few pounds too. It is very true when you are happy and comfortable in a realtionship you tend to put on a few pounds. I know I definately have. But now the plan is to LOSE IT ALL!!!

Breakfast – Whoops missed it.

Lunch – Tuna on wheat and chips

And for dinner, I think we’re going to have Chili. Yum!

UPDATE:

This is an update on the kitten entry below. Two of the sweet little babies have found home. They went home with an old highschool buddy of mine. The one we were going to keep, well, he’s grown quite a bit. His name is Cooper.

 

     

© 2008 UpSideDownGrl

First day of my Diet

Today is my first day of trying to lose about 20 pounds.
So far today I have had breakfast which consisted of Rice (with a bit of butter and sugar) and wheat toast with a bit of butter.
For Lunch I had 1/2 of a chicken salad sandwhich, a handful of chips (I know bad, bad, bad), and some grapes.

For Dinner I had a 1/2 cup of chicken, zuccinni, red & yellow pepper, and pasta mix with a side of garlic bread. And for dessert I had some grapes and a bit of popcorn.

I currently weigh – 1**! (Ha, you really thought I was going to write that! )

© 2008 UpSideDownGrl