Time For a Change......Again.

Good morning!

If you stop by regularly, you realize I haven't posted in the last few days. This is mainly because of the Thanksgiving weekend and all that it entails, but it is partly to do with things changing in my life yet again - I love it!

Things should change in our lives - it helps us move forward. I have met so many incredible people in the last while - and all are in my life for a reason. I am learning those reasons - and the new friendships are terrific!

I will be spending more time working with Shaunna Hargrave, my partner in crime over at Pocketful of Moxie.
Be sure to check us out - our mission is to share stories like yours and mine. We all have one - a moxieful story that someone is waiting to hear. Be sure to join us!

I'm not certain when I will return full time to The Fat Girl blog - but for now I will keep updating when I can. It isn't something I want to get manic about - I want to share when I am able. I might have to join this Instagram thingie. ;)

So be sure to join us over at The Fat Girl Now 50% Ligher Facebook page. I'm always toodling around there. Click here to get there.

So in the meantime, look back on old posts you may have missed - be sure to comment (I like it) and stay tuned, stay in touch and stay cool. I'll be back soon.

Hostess Got Me With the Rock Stickers

When I was in my teens, Hostess was a company that created delectable potato chip flavors. Now, they were nothing like the flavors of today. I know this because yesterday I saw a bag of 'grilled cheese and ketchup' chips on the shelf and I know there are stranger flavors out there yet.

The potato chip itself was fine - they tasted alright (ok, I loved them!) and my especially favorite kind of chips were dill pickle.

Trust me to choose the near most disgusting (an phony) flavor out there.

I would use my allowance to buy chips. If there was a treat offered, I wanted those chips.

I never realized why until recently - a memory hit me.....


Those 80's rock stickers!

Remember them?

Yup. They got me.Big time.

I loved them more than I loved the chips. Hostess managed to slap the two most amazing things they could find together to create the perfect consumer conundrum for me (or not) - potato chips I love combined with those little rock stickers I had to have!

I don't remember seeing a hostess commercial, but I didn't need one! I was sold as soon as I saw those stickers.

The rock stickers - the complete set was highly elusive (I never completed mine) - but every book binder I had in school was slathered in these little square celebrity bits.


Platinum Blonde, Cindy Lauper, Madonna, Van Halen, Honeymoon Suite......I swooned each time I heard that crisp, fresh chip bag open.......

....and the first thing I did was dig out that sticker! We'd trade them, save them, hoard them and hide them. I kept mine in the tiny cellophane packages until I couldn't stand it any more.

When this memory hit me, I enjoyed the simplicity of it for awhile - until I realized something major.

THOSE rock stickers to me as a teenager were the same way that breakfast cereal prizes were to me as a kid.....and I never did complete the set.

For shame.

Life Lessons From a Smart Guy

I'm going to call him 'Al.'

It's a Paul Simon song thing.

Thanks, Al. :)

The Fun House Cleaning Workout

We all have to do it - those house cleaning days sneak up on us far faster than the 'I get to sleep in' days and we find ourselves grinding the scum off of the shower yet again.

Isn't there a way to make doing the chores more fun? Haven't we dragged that vacuum through the house of aggravated silence long enough? I got tired of doing the housework in a zombie-like state, always grumbling in my head about all of the things that I had to accomplish that day.

I always got it done - but it was excruciating! I thought to myself that it certainly didn't have to be torturous to accomplish something I'm going to have to do for the rest of my life anyway. I developed a theory;

I seemed to clean the house whenever I was in a bad mood. Something would happen in my day that I would allow to set me off and I became miserable. Years ago I would get mad and go to bed and sleep it off (I was an adult, but this seems to apply to me when I was a child as well and they call them 'naps').

Later, instead of getting angry and needing a nap, I would find myself with ridiculous amounts of energy. I discovered that I could tear through my house and clean the whole damn thing and I felt terrific afterwards! Whenever I was ticked off, I cleaned my house - very well.

Later still, I wasn't angry any more. Things didn't get to me the way they used to. I had held a giant garage sale in my life and discarded all of the broken, negative things in it. I filled up on love, support, positive relationships and found myself growing up and moving forward. We all do - or we all should - and not because it is something 'everyone does' - but because it feels great.

So instead of fuelling my house cleaning with anger (which means I develop a habit of always being in a crappy mood when it comes time to clean the house), I came up with a 'House Cleaning Workout' that any of us scouring that sink can do.

It is so simple!

HOUSE CLEANING WORKOUT FOR ANYONE CLEANING THE HOUSE

Step 1: Find your favorite music. It MUST be upbeat and not depressing. It's time to vamp it up!

Step 2: Start cleaning your house. you decide where, when, how.....and why I guess. The only rule is that ONE PART OF YOU IS ALWAYS MOVING.

Note: This could mean your shoulders are moving while you wipe down the counter tops or your derriere is shakin' while you're scrubbing the porcelain place you put it. SOMETHING is moving. Arms, legs, feet - you might want to throw in a little head and neck combination for additional giggles!

Step 3: When you hear that heart pumping, make-ya-wanna-sing-it-loud chorus - YOU SING IT LOUD!

Step 4: While conducting Step #3, be sure that when that chorus hits you are moving your body too!

Step 5: Forget if anyone can hear you. If you'd prefer not to be on YouTube, ensure they can't see you.

Step 6: Be aware of how great you feel after you clean your house......if you manage to get it done. ;)

Step 7: Repeat often.

When I Feel Like S***

Everyone has days when they feel like sh......y'know.

Shit. There. I said it and it's out there.

We all have those days.

If I am around my family, I may get frustrated, but the last thing I would ever want to do is make them feel like they are less than important in my life. They are the ones that weather each storm with me, why would I want to create one so that we would have to weather it together?

If I'm in a mood or feeling low on a particular day, I turn my negativity into positivity through a variety of easy to use methods that you don't have to order off of the television of ask for a co-signer to buy!

These step by step instructions make it easy to follow the same mood changing methods that have been successful for me.

#1: Turn on the tunes you love - the ones that get you pumped up - and stop thinking about being in a crappy mood. It is keeping you in a crappy mood. I'm guessing about 6 songs in and you'll either be shaking your assets and smiling. Distractions work great!

For some reason, sh***y moods and negative comments about said sh***y moods are becoming cool, popular and great reasons to grab a triple espresso swirly latte combo-mambo every morning. I don't get it......

#2: Hug someone and stop acting like you are the only one who is living a life. We all need hugs - but we don't need to slather our Facebook profiles with cryptic messages for attention. If you need to - HUG SOMEONE! It dissipates negative energy and replaces it with that feel good feeling we need. That's right - we need it.

#3: Do something nice for someone because you can. Surprises are always fun too. It changes a mood, offers us a glimpse into the unpredictable (which we all could use more of!) and slides some fun to life!

#4: Spend time with your children. When we can let the day go and really enjoy spending time with our kids - really being in that moment with them - those moments change moods for the better. It usally comes with a hug too - so the mood changing benefits are numerous!

#5: Stepping away from the scene. That's all it takes sometimes. Change the scenery and move away for a few minutes. All we often need is a breath of fresh air and a reminder of the goal.

#6: Aromatherapy. Smells work great for changing moods! Remember the last time you smelled wet dog or burning macaroni??  The same holds true for mood improvement.

#7: Sex. Nuff said.

#8: Sleep. Perfect for after #7! Sleep regenerates and resets our systems. A short nap works wonders sometimes.

#9: Vitamin D and sunshine. Instant mood improver!

Our moods are manifestations of thoughts and experiences. We can control them, we can change them and we can carry on without doing too much damage to the world around us.

We can't always get what we want. The Rolling Stones were right......but if we try sometimes, we get what we need.

I Am!

I am a lot of things.

I am a person.

I am a dreamer, a do-er and a dancer. I'm a rock star most days and on other days I am the blue sky. I am the rustling of the leaves - or heck, sometimes I just want to 'BE' sitting in my yard enjoying a moment in the sun.........

I can be whatever I like. I am anything and everything in my own imagination and watch out - when it comes to imagination, I know how to use it!

I have a child who is 7 years old so I tend more to be things like an archeologist, a lemonade stand sales lady, a restaurant customer who has to eat play dough and drink what-the-hell-was-that orange glowy stuff or the walking holder for everything she decided to bring along that day.

Life is supposed to contain a tonne of fun and mine does!I am also the best mom EVER and the one she thinks of to scream for when daddy is scaring the crap out of her with fake bugs.

I love spending time with my husband - the laughter and ideas never stop. He is that 'second soul' I looked for in life.

I am open to new ideas, thoughts, processes, and discussions. I never would have reached my goals had I stayed close minded.

I am that 'crazy lady' who talks too loudly wherever I am. It is because I feel free enough to speak loud and clear. If you are standing there watching me, be warned - I may rope you into a conversation too.

I am that girl in the theatre who laughs louder than anyone and like it came from her toes. Laughter. It wants out - and so it goes.....

I am 'she' that loves thunderstorms, hard rain showers while the sun is shining and wind chimes. I love me a good set of wind chimes!

I am a fan of life, not celebrities. I cherish moments, not items I can purchase - although some are nice.

I am aware of life and how precious it is.

I am a positive thinker and a kindred spirit.

I am motivated.

I am a friend, a hard worker and a great board game player.

I am of good intentions and will think the same of you.

I am a source of knowledge - although some of the things you could learn from me might make you vomit (here's one blogged example - The Yuckiest Thing I Ever Tasted).

I love to learn and I think being a parent and maintaining your sanity is totally possible.



I am one who stands up for what she believes in and isn't afraid to say when things are 'wrong.'

I am - and I will continue to 'BE' for as long as I am able.

I am myself - and I love her!

I am proud. I am VERY proud.

I am Shawn.....and I am continually moving forward and getting better.

Nice to meet you. :)

Hearty Vegetable Soup

Hearty Vegetable Soup
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium white onion, diced
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
32 oz. vegetable broth
28 oz. canned diced tomatoes, with juice
14 oz. canned white beans, drained and rinsed
2 small zucchini, sliced
2 small yellow crookneck squash, sliced
3 cups chopped kale
4 small purple potatoes, cut into cubes
2 small yellow potatoes, cut into cubes
2 small red potatoes, cut into cubes
6 cups water

• In a large pot, sauté the garlic, onion, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper in the oil for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
• Add the broth, tomatoes with juice, beans, zucchini, squash, kale, and potatoes. Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat. Add the water in batches, stirring occasionally.
• Simmer for about an hour, or until you can easily pierce a potato with a fork.
• Serve immediately. Store the remainder in the refrigerator or freezer.

Makes 10 to 12 servings