Monday Edition: My Favorite Things (on a Tuesday)

Sorry my Monday Edition is a day late! Things have been a bit crazy in The Pink Chick world! My middle sister, Kelly, was admitted to the hospital Sunday night with severe abdomen pain. On Monday, she had surgery to remove her appendix. She is doing well and will get to go home tomorrow. I teased her today and told her that they found out that her appendix was the source of all her evil, so with it being removed she should be a heck of a lot nicer! She was on drugs, so she thought it was really funny! Of course, I was only kidding! She isn't really THAT evil!

On to my favorite things! I took an exciting trip to CVS not too long ago with my coworkers/friends Heather and Savannah. It was indeed an exciting trip! We were laughing so hard that I was a little afraid we might get kicked out. At one point, Heather and I even found ourselves dancing the hussle.

On this festive trip, I stumbled upon Neutrogena's hair mask (pictured above). I have been curious about hair masks, but I had never tried one. This one was from a reputable company and was cheap, so I thought I would give it a try! Okay, so it was an impulse buy, but it turned out to be a great one!

My verdict on Neutrogena's Triple Moisture Hair Mask?-I absolutely love it! It makes my hair so soft, silky, and shiny! I was worried that the deep conditioning would weigh my hair down leaving it flat and unmanageable, but it conditioned without leaving my hair limp and lifeless! I can't begin to tell you how perfect it was to have during my recent beach trip!!! If you need a great deep conditioner at an extremely reasonable price, then you should definitely pick this one up!!!

And The Winner Is.....

My giveaway has come to an end, and a winner has been randomly picked. Who will be wearing the velvet leggings from Chickdowntown.com? Patty Ann from Living Life to The Pinkest Congratulations Patty Ann! Please e-mail me at jenniferthepinkchick@yahoo.com so I can get your contact info! Thank you to all who entered and thank you to Chickdowntown.com for sponsoring the giveaway!

Hurry!!! Last Day to Enter!

It's the last day to enter my giveaway sponsored by Chickdowntown.com. You could win a fabulous pair of leggings! Go here to enter! Hurry! Don't miss out!

The Missing Piece of The Puzzle

Happy Friday! I wanted to thank all of you for all your sweet and wonderful comments about my new diet! You are all so supportive! It is amazing what a wonderful network of friends I have made since beginning my blog. You are truly a blessing!

After I wrote the post about my new diet, I realized that my readers are missing a big piece of the puzzle. I thought I would take this time to share my story with you. My weight has always been an issue. I was a fat kid and a chubby teenager. I have always had a bubbly and outgoing personality, but I have always been self conscious about my body.

There was a short time I slimmed down in high school and in college, but I began to rapidly gain weight as a graduate student. I went from wearing a size 12 (which is actually a very appropriate size for me) to only being able to shop in plus size shops.

Now, I must say that I do not equate beauty or self worth with the number on the scale or the size of clothes. As I have grown older, I have embraced my womanly, curvy figure. I will never be a size six and I am more than okay with that. Beautiful women come in every shape, size, and color.

At the point in my life where I was a true plus size, I was not comfortable with myself. I didn't want to see old friends for fear that they would mention my weight gain. I didn't want people to take pictures of me and I did not want to see pictures of myself. I could look at women who were the same size as me and think how beautiful they were, but at the time I could not see myself as beautiful.

I lost weight when I finished graduate school by following Weight Watchers and going to Curves. I wasn't high school thin, but I was happy with what I saw in the mirror. I began to become unhappy with myself again when Michael and I became engaged.

A girl from Michael's past was very unhappy that we were engaged. She often called me and told me what a fat witch (she didn't use the word witch) I was. She would ask Michael if I was pregnant because she thought that would be the only reason why he was marrying me. Your engagement is supposed to be such a happy time, but for me it was torture. I constantly worried that I would not be a beautiful bride. I worried that I would look fat in my wedding dress, and I worried that people would make fun of me. I slipped into a frame of mind that I had not been in since middle school.

My Mom and Dad tired of seeing my tears and my struggle purchased the Nutri System plan for me. I lost 20 pounds, and I was the smallest I had been since high school. After the wedding, I came off of Nutri System. It is rather expensive and I just could not stand to eat any more of those meals. I gained the 20 pounds back almost immediately.

I began following Weight Watchers and working out with a personal trainer. The weight did not come off. I was diagnosed with a slow thyroid and began taking medicine to regulate it. The weight did not come off. In fact, my weight began to rise.

About a month ago, I realized that I was avoiding pictures again. I was also avoiding seeing old friends. I knew I needed to do something about it. That is when I began my new diet.

When I post pictures, what you see are pictures from my past or very good/flattering current pictures. I never put up an unflattering picture of myself on here or on facebook. Maybe that is vain of me, but my motto is if I can control the content then the content is going to look good! :)

I say all this so you will know that I'm not a size 12 trying to be a size 6. I have more to lose than what appears in the pictures I show. I struggle with my weight and honestly I know it is a battle that I will always have to fight.

I also want to extend a plea to you. No matter what size you are, please do not be like the girl in the story from Michael's past. Over weight or not, every woman is beautiful, every woman has struggles, and no woman deserves to be ridiculed because of her weight or her looks.

Also, please learn from my mistakes. Every woman has insecurities. Don't let your insecurities rule your life and don't ever let yourself believe that you are not beautiful!

P.S.-Those who were wondering about the protein bars, I posted a note on the post explaining my new diet.

New Diet

Post Up-date: A few of you have also asked what type of protein bars I eat. I actually buy my protein bars from the diet clinic. However, one of my friends who has been on the diet before stuck to South Beach bars and snacks. I will definitely research a few types of protein bars and let you know. Also, if you have a favorite protein bar let me know. I love trying new things!


A few of you asked me to share my new diet with you. Before I begin, I want to let you know that I am going to a diet clinic where the diet is suggested and monitored by a doctor. I also have consulted my regular physician about the diet. I say this because no matter what diet you follow, it is important that the diet is safe and practical for you. Just because this diet is a good fit for me does not mean it is appropriate for everyone.

Also, with the diet being monitored by a doctor I am prescribed diet pills. Diet pills are very controversial, and are definitely not a subject to be taken lightly. I have tried this diet with and without the diet pills. Some weeks I have chosen to try the pills and other weeks I have chosen to diet without the pills. It works both ways. Again, you have to have a prescription for diet pills, but I would never, ever take the pills without talking in depth with your doctor about the risks and possible side effects. Wow! I am beginning to sound like a drug commercial.

With my warning and cautions aside-here is my new diet!

Monday-Friday-I eat six small meals or you can look at it as 3 small meals and three snacks. My eating schedule is as follows:

Morning Meal-A protein bar (around 200 calories) (You want your protein bar to be high in fiber, but make sure to watch the carb count. You don't want your carb count on the bar to be more than twice the amount of protein. Most of my bars have 15g of protein and 21 grams of carbs)

Morning Snack-Lowfat dairy product, nuts, or fruit (100 calories). My favorite snacks are low fat string cheese, low fat yogurt, or almonds.

Afternoon Meal-Protein bar

Afternoon Snack-see morning snack options

Evening meal-Any type of low fat dinner. I usually have a Lean Cuisine or Weight Watchers frozen meal. You can also have a baked chicken breast with veggies. (400 calories)

Evening snack-see morning snack options

Friday at dinner-Sunday at dinner-You are free to eat whatever you want. Now, don't go overboard with this and pig out on everything. You still want to eat reasonably, but you don't have to be strict.

A few diet notes:
*There are many times that I go out to eat for lunch with my coworkers. I firmly believe that any diet you are on has to be maintainable, so when I do go to lunch with my coworkers I usually just order a side salad with light dressing or a side of veggies.
*It is also important to take a multi vitamin every day.
*Exercise three times a week for thirty minutes.
*You can also substitute. For example if you want to go out to lunch with the girls on Thursday and eat whatever you want, then you can eat a protein bar for one meal during the weekend.

Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions. If you are in Georgia and you are interested in going to the diet clinic, I will be happy to give you the contact information.

I know this diet sounds strange and strict, but it is definitely working for me. I have an under active thyroid and an extremely slow metabolism-Not even being Weight Watchers and gym faithful was working for me. This diet is definitely helping speed up my metabolism and finally helping me drop some weight. It sounded extreme to me too and that is why I was so careful to consult my own physician. This diet has been my answer to many months/years of extreme frustration about my weight and my body. I don't want this just to be a fad diet for me, so I am committed to adjusting the diet to meet my lifestyle needs (and adjusting my lifestyle to meet my diet needs).

Chickdowntown.com Give Away!!!

I'm back from my mini-vacation with a give away! What a way to make an entrance! :) Okay, so I can't take all the credit. Chickdowntown.com has offered to sponsor a give away for my readers! A big thanks to you for reading my blog and a big thanks to chickdowntown.com for sponsoring the give away! They are so sweet and generous-oh and did I mention that they have such cute clothes and accessories!!! Make sure to visit them on-line! Chickdowntown.com also has a blog, facebook, myspace, and twitter.

One lucky reader of my blog will win a pair of Members Only Velvet Leggings from Chickdowntown.com. The leggings come in gray, chocolate brown, and black. Pictured below are the leggings in black, but just click on the colors above to see the others. If you win, you pick the color! (Please be aware that only sizes M and L are left in black).


Chickdowntown.com describes the leggings as the "Ultimate body-conscious effect in lush, stretch velvet, the jewel colored legging casts a soft glow, layered under dresses, sweaters, and a soft textural touch. High-waisted profile creates the longest, leanest legs in town, a key wardrobe piece you’ll rely on all fall".

Enter to win by leaving a comment on this post. You can also get additional entries by being a follower or becoming a follower, and by posting about the giveaway on your blog. When leaving a comment, please let me know if you are a follower and if you blogged about the give away! The give away ends Monday, Sept. 28th at midnight (EST). Good luck!

P.S.-I want to let you know that Scout is home. She is doing great, and I am so happy to have my sweet little girl back! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Also, I do have a favorite thing for you this week, and since many of you had questions about my diet I will also be sharing that this week. Have a Happy Monday!

A Mini-Vacation and a Few Up-Dates

This past two weeks have been very busy, so I am very behind on posting and on commenting. I have so much to that I want to share, so I thought I would break it down to bullet points.

• I will probably be away from the computer until Monday. Michael and I are headed to St. Simons. He has a conference and I am using it as an excuse for a mini vacation! I hope to be able to do a few post while I am away, but just in case I don't get the opportunity to blog I didn't want you to think that I had totally disappeared! If you are in the area and want to have lunch or meet up, feel free to e-mail me!
  

• While we are away, we have a house sitter staying at our house and taking care of our dogs. However, Scout it spending the week at the vet. She is having her eye surgery this week. A family friend and trusted vet performs the surgery for $150-$200. His clinic is about an hour away from our home, but the hour drive was definitely better than paying $500 to do the surgery at my regular vet. Say a little prayer for her if you get a chance!

• I have completed the first month of my new diet! So far I have lost 9 total pounds with 7 pounds of that being fat. I feel great, and I am very excited with my results for the first month!

• I am also currently working on a new look for my blog! I am so excited about changing up the design a little. I think it is going to be super cute, but it probably won't come together for a couple more months.

• Last but not least, I will be partnering with a wonderful company to host another giveaway when I come back next week! Be sure to visit me next week for a fab giveaway! I am very excited!
  

Monday Edition: My Favorite Things

Fall is definitely in the air! While I adore Summer, I always look forward to the crisp, cool weather of Fall. I also look forward to the wardrobe change that Fall brings!

I think I have written an ode to scarves before, but I will sing the praises of this perfect Fall accessory again! Scarves are a great cooler weather accessory. They can add a little pizazz to a boring outfit and even keep you a little warmer on those chilly Fall mornings.

I do love scarves, and they are definitely versatile! However, I am not willing to break the bank on this accessory. I always look for cute scarves in the $10-$15 range. I am willing to splurge for a $25 scarf if it is super cute. I know I am cheap! I can't help it!

My favorite budget friendly scarves can be found at Old Navy and Target. Here are a few of my favorites in stock at Old Navy right now.

The scarf above is made of a lightweight jersey knit. It is currently on sale for $5.00 at Old Navy.This paisley print scarf is priced at $12.50 and is currently my favorite! I love the colors!!!
This ruched scarf comes in a variety of colors and retails for $12.50.

Target always has cute accessories, and scarves are no exception. Here are a few of my favorites from Target.


The above scarf usually isn't my style, but I adore houndstooth. This pink houndstooth scarf is definitely on my wish list at $14.99.


This beautiful paisley scarf is also from Target for $14.99. I couldn't help but fall in love with the rich colors.

If you don't mind a more expensive scarf, Ann Taylor Loft has an adorable scarf right now prices at $34.50.


Oh, and just in case you need a scarf tying lesson (like I did last year), Design Mom has a wonderful tutorial and even features more cute scarves. You can find it here.

Precious Petal Tee!

I have so many things to tell you, but I don't have enough time to do it. My weekend guests are on the way, and I still have a few things to do around the house before they get here. Yikes! However, I had to do a quick post to let you know about a great sale. Right now, Ann Taylor Loft (one of my very favorite stores) has their super cute tees on sale for $14.50. I purchased the petal tee shown below! I just love how cute and feminine it is! Visit Ann Taylor Loft on-line and check them out before they are all gone!

P.S.-Sorry I haven't been commenting that much lately. I am way behind on my blog reading due to work and preparing for house guests. I hope to get caught up soon! Don't give up on me!

Game Day Attire

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people will arrive in Athens ready to watch the Georgia Bulldogs play their first home game of the season. Coincidentally, most all of these people will be praying that the first home game does not turn out like the first game of the season. Yikes!

However, there are more important things to concentrate on other than football. For example, what I am going to wear to the game is definitely more important! :) Your game day outfit is definitely something that can not be taken lightly in the South! :)

The most proper attire for a female at a UGA football game is some sort of sun dress. Finding the perfect game day attire is not always the easiest for me. I have very high standards. The outfit must be comfortable and figure flattering. Oh, and the appropriate color-red, black, white or a combination of any of the three.

I usually go with black. Black dresses are usually the easiest to find and the most versatile. This year all of my possible game day dresses came from Target. They had a great selection of cute dresses appropriate for game day or just a regular day.

This is my very first choice. I purchased it in black from my local Target. It is actually a lot cuter in person than it appears in the picture.


The next two dress are dresses I ordered from Target online. Both are in black. They are from the Merona Fits Solution collection. This is a collection of dresses, skirts, tops, and pants that have built in shape wear. I only have two of the dress, but the shape wear really does work and is also comfortable. These must have been created and sewn by God himself. They are wonderful! You can find them here.

Just today I spotted this precious little red dress on Target on-line. I am contemplating adding it to my game day attire wardrobe too. What do you think?

Monday Edition: My Favorite Things (on a Tuesday)

Pardon me for being a day late on my favorite things post, but the whole long and glorious weekend threw my schedule off a little! :)

Speaking of this weekend, I spent a large majority of the time trying to get my house ready for football season. Living in Athens (home of the Georgia Bulldogs), we often have company during this time of year. I always want my company to feel welcome and at home in my home. I also want them to walk into a clean house, so that was what I was doing-cleaning!

I wish I loved to clean, but I don't. I love for things to be clean, but cleaning is a chore for me not a fun activity. Since I don't have a magic wand or tiny cleaning elves that live in my closet, cleaning is something I must do on a regular basis.

Wal-Mart does not carry a magic cleaning wand (or cleaning elves). Trust me I have looked! However, the last time I was in Wal-Mart a trip down the clearance aisle introduced me to my new weapon against dirt and grime-The Sonic Scrubber!!!


I used this just last night to scrub my shower and sink. It really works and works great! I also changed out the head and used it to scrub my base boards. It is not a magic wand, but it is close! For those of you who clean and clean but your elbow grease just doesn't seem to be enough, give The Sonic Scrubber a try!

Also, make sure to check back with me this week as I reveal my game day attire and give you an up-date on my new diet! Happy Tuesday (that feels like a Monday)!!!

My New Old Dishes!

My coworkers (Heather and Savannah) and I decided to visit a local antique shop on our lunch break today. I promised myself that I would not buy anything, but that all changed when I spotted a set of dishes.

I spied a beautiful set of teal dishes when I walked in the door. I loved their unusual color. Trying to stick to my budget, I only gave them a glance and walked away. Later, I saw another set of dishes in the same pattern, but a different color. They were light gray. I couldn't help but imagine how beautiful the two sets of dishes would look together.

After a little negotiation with the owner of the antique store and a little encouragement from my friends, I walked away with both sets of dishes. The teal set has 50 pieces and the gray set has 30 pieces. I purchased both sets of dishes for a total of $88. Comparing the prices of the dishes on-line confirmed that I got a great deal!

I yanked a few pictures from the internet to show you my new old dishes (circa 1940s). Keep in mind the pictures do not do the colors justice. I can't wait to set my table with these!


Here are a few examples of what the teal set looks like.


Pictures of the gray set were a little harder to find, but I did find one.


My budget may not like it when I ramble through antique shops, but I think it is a really fun way to spend a lunch hour!