Celebrating Women...for the Real World
Tuesday, May 31, 2005 And Who Won Indy?

REUTERS.COM Posted by Hello

This historical Indy 500 is partly what our blog is all about! On Sunday I watched the Indianapolis 500 on the edge of my seat. Of course I was routing for Danica Patrick who was racing for the Rahal Letterman Team, and boy did she deliver! There are several articles in the paper and on the Web of her accomplishment: She was the first woman to ever lead in the race; she finished fourth; made Rookie mistakes but was able to correct them; etc. The article from REUTERS.com entitled “Tough rookie Patrick makes her point at Indy 500” was very good. If you didn’t get a chance to see the race, click on the article title to read about it.

“Early in Sunday's race Patrick made another mistake that dropped her from fourth to 16th but again she kept her cool and eventually worked her way toward the front of the grid.”

Wow, this young lady at 23 has had a huge impact on the sport of racing. There are some who refuse to watch any race she is in because she is a female. I say, if she can hang with the big boys (pardon the pun), she needs to go for it! None of the other racers did her any favors, she earned this. I know that Patrick is just pursuing her own dreams. But for all of us that are not afraid to try new things but just need a little encouragement.....Thank you!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 6:39 PM :: 3 comments

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In Response To....What Would Happen To My Husband

I have to say that I am the “geek” in my house hold (sort of anyway, I’ll be the one to figure out how to do things…maybe “geek-wanna-be”). My Husband took off from work Tuesday so we decided to leave town and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and go to east Texas and stay at the lake. There, we do have a phone and television/satellite, but no computer. Saturday was a bit rough. I kept on going into the house and just standing there looking around feeling like something was missing. I did change and go down to the boathouse and stay for a while but I will bet you anything, I would run up to the house every hour on the hour and go in and just stand and stare into nothingness. Sunday was a bit better, I probably only went up to the house for my staring ritual maybe 5 times (a bit better than Saturday) and each time my staring got shorter and I would state “oh” and go back to the boat house. By Monday it had diminished down to an occasional thought, wondering how the blog was doing and how many emails I would have waiting for me. But all in all I did manage to unwind and enjoy the lake.

So Sheri, I hate to tell you, a weekend will not do it. To unwind and unplug will probably require four to five days (sorry JK, this is tough love you know). But it is so worth it!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 4:41 PM :: 1 comments

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Monday, May 30, 2005 What Would Happen To My Husband If......

he had to go a whole weekend without TOUCHING his ( or a ) computer? See, my husband is JK from JKOnTheRun. If you click on the link to his blog, it will only take you a few reads before you figure out that he is a complete "Techno Geek". Now, it's not that I mind him being a geek, but, I don't think that he realizes that he is ALWAYS on his computer. He has a Tablet PC and we have wireless internet throughout the house, so, he can take and work on his computer EVERYWHERE (yes, including the bathroom). In the evenings when we are sitting down to watch TV or read, he is on the computer. When he runs out of things that he's working on and all the email has been read, he then plays games ON THE COMPUTER! I've jokingly commented on the "growth" at the end of his hand (the computer), and how rich the person will be when they figure out how to remove it.

What brought me to thinking about this topic was a conversation he and I had today. I told him that I didn't think that he could take me away for just a weekend trip and not take his computer. He said that he'd just need it to check and respond to emails. That was exactly my point, what would he have done just a few years ago when email and internet was not as convenient to access as it is now? I think the accessibility of these tools has enabled us to not "unplug" or "unwire" ourselves and really just BE ourselves. I honestly think that my husband would be on life support if he had to go even a day without these conveniences. So, I challenge you, dear, a weekend with me, away from the house, with NO computer or internet! :-)

Cheers!
Sheri

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 5:24 PM :: 2 comments

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Feeling Guilty About Doing Nothing

Today is Memorial Day. I actually have a day off from work, but do I? So, I don't have to physically go to work, but now I have my work at home staring at me. My kids, who are capable of fixing their own breakfast, think that I, for some reason, should be responsible for this task since I'm home (ok, so they didn't come out and say this, but they implied it through their sweet little pouty faces and body language). The dogs think I should walk them (ok, they didn't come out and tell me that they want to be walked, but they aren't leaving my side and they are looking at me with puppy dog eyes). My husband isn't sure what to do with me (he works from home and is not used to me being here). To make matters worse, I somehow feel guilty about sitting on my butt doing nothing when after all, I could be writing and updating this blog, doing laundry, cleaning the bathroom, working in the yard, making sure that I provide some kind of stimulating activity for my family, and I should make some effort to put together the typical Memorial Day Barbeque. The fact of the matter is, I just don't want to. I want to get a pedicure, I want to engage in brainless activity, but I can't. I asked my husband if he would be unhappy with me if I didn't "catch up" on all the housework that I put off. He said he didn't care. So, why am I sitting here feeling guilty? I think this ties into the point SuZan wrote about earlier regarding "Shooting The Bastard" (see article below).

This brings me to another point-who really is "The Bastard". Is it a man, is it a woman, is it the advertisers, is it Hollywood and what they portray in movies and TV, or could the bastard actually be ourselves? Sometimes I think we (women) are our own worst enemy. I feel that "I" am the only one making myself feeling guilty about doing nothing today.

So, here it goes, I will do nothing today unless I want to do it. Wow, what a liberating idea. I feel better already. Ta for now as I've started my bubble bath (a bubble bath at noon on a weekday!), then I'm off to do some shopping (at my pace at my store), then, I may even squeeze in that pedicure. As far as dinner.... I'm pretty sure my husband know the number for Dominos! I'll take copious notes and be sure to let you all now how it turns out!

Happy Memorial Day!
Sheri

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 11:50 AM :: 2 comments

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Friday, May 27, 2005 Yep.....Gonna Be a Bear!

Saw this on the Web and thought it was great!


Yep...Gonna be a Bear! Posted by Hello

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 7:36 AM :: 0 comments

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Now That I Can Sleep In…..I CAN’T!

The kids are now out of school, all of my paperwork has been completed and the year is closed out. I purposely kept the dreadful schedule “empty” (except of course, a planned trip to my favorite store, Target). After working hard throughout the year, the moment had come that I had been looking forward to; “to sleep until I wake up (without an alarm clock)”. The only thing this “night owl” had planned for today, was to sleep in! What do you think happened? I woke up at 5:25 AM!

Of course this doesn’t happen when I have to get up. Oh, I tried to go back to sleep, curled up with my pillow, pulled the covers over my head, and tossed the cat out of the bedroom. These are all great strategies when one contemplates uninterrupted slumber.

SIGH! I guess I’ll just go and make some coffee.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 5:51 AM :: 6 comments

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Thursday, May 26, 2005 L O S T left me....well....L O S T

We are not big television watchers, but this season I got hooked on ABC's LOST. I just Had to see it every week. If I couldn't be home at air time, we taped it...etc. Needless to say, I was waiting on pins & needles for the 2 hour season finale. Unfortunately, the finale generated more questions than it gave answers.
I decided to do a little surfing to see if I could find some answers (of course....I didn't). But I did find what I thought was very clever advertising for the next season. Go to this link : http://www.oceanic-air.com/seatingchart.htm. Click the numbers at the bottom of the chart in the order of the lost numbers (4 8 15 16 23 42) and you will see a 'preview' for the next season.....very clever!
Posted by Hello

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 5:53 PM :: 1 comments

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Updates, Updates, Updates!!

I feel like I should apologize for the lack of posting the past few days. My kids are now out of school for the summer! To all the teachers and, well, to ALL the people who work in the schools, THANK YOU! I worked at our elementary school for a year and volunteered for, well, I guess I still am volunteering bringing the total number of years to 12! I know that you all don't get to hear how much you are appreciated as often as you hear the complaints. So, again, THANK YOU! You are the best!

SuZan and I are busily working on a lot of ideas concerning the direction of this blog as well as working on our first Podcast (stay tuned)! A few of the articles that I'm working on include - A Mouse in the House (I'm not kidding, there's a mouse somewhere in my house), several product reviews, an update on our weight loss efforts (yes, I was out walking this morning at 5:30 a.m. as that was what I promised I would do once school was out), the perils of summer for working families, and, believe it or not, some reviews of different software packages that I'm researching for my company (JKOnTheRun-watch out!). Please check in often. We love your comments and ideas. If there is something specific that you would love for us to research or include on this blog, please email us at celebratingwomen@gmail.com. SuZan and I both check that account through out the day.

Later!
Sheri

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 6:32 AM :: 0 comments

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Wednesday, May 25, 2005 Gas Prices Reach New High!

Apparently the price of gas is so high; we have to move to a barter system! A friend of ours who lives in Germany sent this to me and I just had to share…......Funny!


Current Gas Prices Posted by Hello

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 6:47 PM :: 0 comments

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They Aught to Shoot the Bastard

Can anyone tell me who came up with the “Super Woman” and “Super Mom” concept? I can recall in the mid 1970’s a commercial for Enjoli perfume that was meant to promote this ideal. When I was “young and dumb” I really thought that this was cool! An “I can do everything!” attitude flourished and grew. But now, it simply sends chills down my spine when I think of that old jingle: “I can bring home the bacon; fry it up in a pan; and never, never, let you forget you’re a man.”

We have all fallen into this “pit of hell” life. Who said you MUST live your life on a schedule (and of course, keep it full), check off your daily accomplishments, and then plan for tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year while your dragging yourself to bed. Whoops….almost forgot…It’s 11:00 pm, (my scheduled potty break time). When I actually have a moment to breath, I miss the spontaneity that I used to have. Please don’t get me wrong, I’ll be the first to say that I don’t want to give up anything. I love the social interaction connected with all aspects of my life between work, play, husband’s obligations, son’s outside events and my own outside interests. I think I feel that a balance is missing and that is my quest.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 4:37 PM :: 1 comments

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Tuesday, May 24, 2005 Cool Web Page-Check It Out!

OK, I must confess, I'm at work and totally swamped. I had to take a few moments to clear my brain before moving on to the next task. I figured if I got on the internet, I'd look really busy! Out of curiosity, I did a search to find other sites that correlate with what our goal is via this blog. I came across this and thought it was cool. Please visit http://www.realwomenrealissues.com . I especially enjoyed the "Ask two Divas and a Wench" link.

Enjoy!
Sheri

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 11:11 AM :: 0 comments

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Monday, May 23, 2005 Great Product for Contact Lens Wearers

I was never able to wear contact lenses until recently. I have an astigmatism, which means that I have to wear toric lenses. Anyone who has ever worn toric lenses knows that if the lens moves in your eye, it throws off your vision, like I see double! I also have very dry eyes. Again, not a good combination for lens wearers. The dryer your eyes get, the more uncomfortable it is to wear contacts. My eyes also seem to build up protein which clouds my vision. I am sensitive to the majority of the cleaner solutions and re-wetting drops. I finally found something that is amazingly effective. Bausch & Lomb Renu with MoistureLoc Multi-Purpose Solution (no rub formula). I was hesitant to try it, but since it was the same price as the other brands, I figured what the heck. Boy, am I glad I did. If "seeing" is believing, then call me a believer!

See ya!
Sheri

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 8:21 PM :: 0 comments

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Sunday, May 22, 2005 Desperate Housewives Season Finale

I just finished watching the season finale of Desperate Housewives and have to say, I'm rather disappointed. I feel like I do when I'm reading a mystery and the crime is solved. At that point, the book is over. To me, my interest in the show was the mystery of why MaryAlice killed herself. Everything else seemed to revolve around that. After tonight's show I almost feel like I don't care what happens. I think if they try to "create" more mystery and drama, its going to get cheesy. I will however will probably be running to the TV for the first show next season telling everyone to be quiet! Remember, this is my opinion. Of course, we all know what people compare opinions to.......

Cheers!
Sheri

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:45 PM :: 0 comments

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A Word From The House.....(there has got to be a better way)

As a good citizen (or at least I try to be), I feel I have just wasted three hours of my life, and am totally frustrated. I thought I would get informed and watch the State House of Representatives in session. There happened to be a Bill that would have an affect on the company my husband works for. So here I am watching the live feed, listening intently, watching the battle over amendments to this certain Bill (that’s right, just the amendments. Don’t know when they are supposed to debate the Bill).

I fully understand now that the “the wheels of justice (or government) turn exceedingly slow”. I thought I had a minimal understanding of this Bill but after watching the House “in action” I am more confused than ever (and so are some of the House Members, really.....they said so). I had no idea who was for, or who was against what! I found that some Representatives were not even prepared to be up at the podium. Some even tried to turn the debate off to another direction than what was put forth. Geez people, if industry ran like this, we would still be in the day of the horse and buggy (OK.....I'll get off my soap box now)!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 6:03 PM :: 3 comments

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Scheduling Time for Sex?

I was reading an article in May 2005 issue of Redbook entitled "Sex Milestones That Bring You and Him Closer". Most of the article was irrelevant as the article dealt with issues such as the first time you did it in your parents house, trying to conceive sex, after birth sex, etc. nothing which pertains to me as the "first time" was a long time ago and conception sex is not an issue that I want to remotely visit (teenagers are the best birth control on the market). This point really made sense to me. It stated:

"Scheduling sex can be pretty unsexy. Putting sex on your to-do list is more romantic that it seems. First, it shows that you both treasure "just us" time. And scheduling romance builds anticipation. When you know you're going to do the deed later that night, you can leave him little notes or whisper innuendos to each other, which gets you both longing for your sex date. If you worry that having to book an intimate encounter with your man is a sign your romance is dead, consider this: You've been scheduling sex all along. When you were dating, didn't you know you were going to have sex on Saturday night? When you go away to a hotel for a weekend getaway, aren't you certain you're going to be intimate? Bottom line: penciling in passion doesn't mean you two are boring; it means you're committed to having a sexy marriage-and what could be more romantic that that?"
I don't know if this theory works, but it sure will be fun checking it out!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 5:10 PM :: 2 comments

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Product Plug - Glad ForceFlex Trash Bags

When I come across a product that makes my life easier, I feel its only right to share. I recently ran out of trash bags. I ran to the store and picked up Glad ForceFlex trash bags . I had seen these advertised on TV, but that was not my deciding factor when purchasing. To be quite honest, I bought them because they were on sale. I didn't think anything more of this until I asked one of my sons to take out the trash. He commented on how much better these bags were and the fact that they didn't tear on the way out to the garage. This weekend I've undertaken a horrendous cleaning task and have filled up (actually over filled) quite a few bags. I am quite impressed. Not one bag ripped, tore, or leaked! In the future, as long as the budget allows, I most likely will pick up these bags regardless of the price. If you are the "seeing is believing" type, visit their web page via the link above. They not only offer coupons, but you can read other people's reviews. Happy cleaning! (Can you actually say happy and cleaning in the same sentence?)

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 11:41 AM :: 1 comments

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Waiting for my Teenager to come home

It is quickly approaching midnight, my 16 year old son's curfew. I have done everything that I can do to make it look like I'm not waiting up for him, even though I am. As I write, I'm sitting hear with knots in my stomach knowing that I will in no way possible be able to sleep until I hear the front door close and lock and the sound of his feet over my head. Is this what our parents went through?


I am pondering if what I wrote earlier regarding the baby of the family and deciding if it serves the same purpose here. I was the baby of the family. I feel that in a circumstance like this, I'm grateful that I was the baby as my older brother and sister broke my parents in. I remember how they used to worry about who, what, where and when to the point that my brother and sister couldn't sneeze without a written affidavit as to where they were when it happend. By the time I hit my teenage years (my brother is 18 years older than me and my sister is 5 years older),my parents chilled out considerably. It was almost as if they were saying "we know that no matter what we say regarding drinking sex and drugs, you're going to be exposed, so please make good choices, be confident enough to make those choices, but above all, be smart." They never said that in so many words, but I felt like they trusted me to do the right thing. I'm not going to lie and tell you that I never made a bad choice, but I always was aware of the consequences of my choices and probably made smarter choices because of that.

So, back to the topic, will this ever get easier?

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 12:02 AM :: 1 comments

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Saturday, May 21, 2005 How Family Life Has Changed

I really pondered this thought and this is what I came up with. As a child, I can remember being a part of the family. We traveled, we did things together, my parents entertained a lot (and I was thrilled that I got to play hostess from the age of 9 on). When ever I found an interest, I explored it. I can even count on one hand how many times my mom helped me with homework. You have to know that in retrospect I absolutely loved my childhood, it was filled with countless opportunities, interesting people and I have most likely had exposure to more cultural events that my own son will probably ever experience in his lifetime.

Now on to today! Looking at our household and my friend’s households, the children are no longer a part of the family. They are the focus of the family! Think about how we live our lives. Our children are so involved in activities; we are constantly playing chuffers driving our kids to and from different events. When my son was younger I can't tell you how many countless hours have been spent on helping with homework, and even now I still help him with biology and spanish. We all want our children to experience different things and explore various avenues, but I worry that we are cutting out precious time that we all used as children to exercise the imagination, expand creativity, develop strengths and expand on interests. I look at my own son and worry because when I was his age (and he really hates hearing this), I was so much more responsible and more independent.

I don’t know if I am worrying over nothing, but I do worry. You know the grown up world isn’t the friendliest and I am concerned that we haven’t prepared him for it. Of course in his eyes, my husband has already had his lobotomy and I’m on the operating table.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 11:09 AM :: 1 comments

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Friday, May 20, 2005 Free Gas - For My Car!!

A local radio station (104.1 KRBE) as had a promotion recently called "Free Gas Friday". They show up at an undisclosed location. They announce a password on the air. Then they tell us where they are. As I'm dropping my daughter off at school and cursing the traffic, the announcer says, "All I can tell you is, we are at a Sonic in NW Houston". Mind you, NW Houston is a HUGE area. Then the guy says, "After I'm done, we're right next to a Wal-Mart, I think I'll stop in and get a Light Saver." Well, there happens to be a Sonic in a Wal-Mart parking lot about 5 minutes from the school in NW Houston. I thought-what the heck, free is free, I'll see if that's where they are. Sure enough, that's where they were. I got in line and got a gas card valued at $25 for the purchase of food or gas from any Shell station. SWEET! And to think, had I not been stuck in traffic, I would have been to far on my way to work in the other direction! Thanks KRBE!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 10:10 PM :: 1 comments

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Weight Loss Sucess!

I'm so excited that we can post an update already. As you know, we started our walking regimine this past Wednesday (made it 1 mile) and started to focus on portion control (not portion deprivation). Yesterday, SuZan was at a function that required her to square dance and I was at my son's baseball game. I took advntage of his warm-up time to throw the baseball with my daughter. This required me to do a lot of ball chasing as I have NO hand/eye coordination. SuZan said that she has already lost a few pounds and I didn't have to squeeze into my jeans this morning after getting them out of the dryer. More importantly, we both feel better and have had more energy the past few days than we've had for a while. I don't know if I've lost pounds as I'm still in denile and haven't replaced the scale that broke when I got mad at it! I guess that will be my next hurdle! Stay tuned.......

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:58 PM :: 1 comments

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ROOMBA RULES!

For anyone who has to clean the house, you have to try the Roomba vacuum by irobot. This little vacuum is wonderful. I have been using it since the end of December and I have to say, I love it as much as I did when I got it.

You know the saying that if it is too good to be true, it usually is. BUT, what I have experienced with the Roomba, is that it IS EVERYTHING it is suppose to be. In the past, by the time I actually got to the vacuuming, I was wiped out and probably did a very poor job. With the Roomba, I make sure everything that doesn't belong on the floor is up and start it and let her go!

It vacuums my foyer, dinning room, living room, hallway and master bedroom (I don't dare let it go into boy's room....I don't think it would make it out alive) at the same time that I am putting things away. It does a great job! It goes under furniture, around each leg of chairs or tables, transitions from carpet to wood floors with no problem. You get a “virtual wall” that you set up for it not pass a certain point (yep…it is directed at the boy’s room). When Roomba is done vacuuming your house, it goes back to the charger and charges itself!

I'll tell you what really made an impression with me. Before, I would vacuum once a week. With the Roomba, I vacuum every day to every other day and am surprised of all the dust, dirt and oh yes…cat hair that it picks up every time. The other added benefit to this is I have found that I only have to dust about once a month. Thank you Roomba! Now, I need a machine that will wash, dry, fold and put away the clothes (the human models aren’t doing a very good job).

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 5:15 PM :: 1 comments

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A Poem for Girls

I shave my legs, I sit down to pee.
And I can justify any shopping spree.
Don't go to a barber, but a beauty salon.
I can get a massage without a hard-on.
I can balance the checkbook, I can pump my own gas.
I can talk to my friends about the size of my ass.
My beauty's a masterpiece and yes, it takes long.
At least I can admit to others when I'm wrong.
I don't drive in circles, at any cost.
And I don't have a problem admitting I'm lost.
I never forget an important date.
You just gotta deal with it, I'm usually late.
I don't watch movies with lots of gore.
Don't need instant replay to remember the score.
I won't lose my hair, I don't get jock itch.
And just cause I'm assertive, Don't call m e a bitch.
Don't say to your friends, Oh yeah, I can get her.
In your dreams, my dear, I can do better!
Flowers are okay, But jewelry's best.
Look at me you idiot...Not at my chest????
I don't have a problem,With expressing my feelings.
I know when you're lying,You look at the ceiling.
DON'T call me a GIRL , a BABE or a CHICK .
I am a WOMAN. Get It!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 4:54 PM :: 0 comments

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The Perils of an Only Child……..and You Can’t Blame the Cat

I have the most amazing cat. She is so talented, brave, and shrewd. She is six pounds of fur and pure energy. When I’m away, she destroys homework, eats all the food in the fridge, hides clothes, leaves the toilet seat up, and misplaces countless items all over the house. Funny how every time I look at her, she is sleeping!

My poor deprived only child has spent a lifetime trying to blame everything on the cat. You see, without a sibling to blame things on, the only child resorts to the only thing an only child can…………blame the cat! Even when cornered, with evidence all around of guilt, back against the wall, (not to mention Mom was raised an only child herself, therefore, been there, done that) he will still……….blame the cat!

Being an only child can be very stressful. You know that all eyes are on you. When something goes right, since you are already the focus, it is the expectation. As an only child, your room is always a discussion. Your clothes are not right. Not to mention that every idea and every suggestion is scrutinized. How miserable not to share the spot light with someone else. I imagine that with a sibling you can breathe a breath of fresh air on occasion. Since there is an automatic 50% chance you might be able convince your parents you didn’t do it. The one with the best persuasive skills can survive under the radar. The only child doesn’t stand a chance. From the tottler who got up when his parents were sleeping and spilled black paint on carpet and tried to clean it up with paper towels; to the pre-teen who decided to bleach his dark brown hair Barbie blond; to the teenager who leaves the car parked in the street and not in the driveway. At lease with a sibling, sometimes, you just might get away with it. So next time, when something might be misplaced and/or your only child does something insignificantly wrong, go ahead and let him get away with one………….blame the cat!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 4:30 AM :: 3 comments

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Thursday, May 19, 2005 Weight Loss Battle-Update

I haven't decided yet how I'm going to go about updating this journey, so for now I'll update as things pop up.

SuZan and I went walking last night as planned. We used to do two miles without breaking a sweat. Not only were we sweating, but we only managed one mile. At first I was disappointed, but then I realized, setting unrealistic goals has been one of my main down falls. SuZan made me realize that, not only did we go one mile farther than we would have sitting on our butts, but, we had a chance to make that transition from working woman to mom/wife. I think my husband will tell you I was in much better spirits last night and had a whole lot more energy (the living room and dining room got dusted and vacuumed, and three loads of laundry got washed and dried-still working on the folding part)!

Basically-day one seemed to be a success.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 8:56 PM :: 0 comments

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Crystal Light Helps the Water Go Down?

Wow! Drinking water is great for your body. But, if you're like me, by the 3rd bottle, you feel a bit "water logged" for lack of a better term. Crystal Light is a great product. They went one step further and created an "on the go" product. They come packaged 10 packs to a box. Each pack is measured specifically for a 16.9 oz single serving bottle of water. You pour, shake and drink. You can substitute up to 2 serving per day toward your water intake. The other day I was in Wal-Mart and was quite pleased to find their brand of this great little item at a fraction of the cost. Their brand is the "Great Value" brand and comes in several flavors. I'm currently drinking the Orange Early Rise. It's DELICIOUS!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 12:08 AM :: 4 comments

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Wednesday, May 18, 2005 Attempting to Win the Weight Loss Battle

I'm hoping that through this post I will find that I'm not alone on a very personal issue. I am not obese, but my weight is definitely not where I want it to be and no where close to what it was prior to having three children. My goal is to post my success and failures and share things that have worked for me and those that don't. Please feel free to post your thoughts and feelings, joys and sorrows. I will most definitely be doing a lot of soul searching and researching along the way.

Getting Started

I've found that my biggest hindrance in losing weight is my mind set. For me, diets don't work. I've tried EVERYTHING. The Weight Watchers program seemed to have been the most successful for me and my lifestyle and certainly is the most sensible program available. My problem with their program is two-fold. First, I became completely obsessed with food. I was constantly trying to figure out how the eat the biggest quantity of food for the fewest number of points instead of really listening to my body and deciding if I was really hungry or just eating because I could. I found that I would use my points to eat a bag of M & M's instead of fruits and vegetables which would have been the better choice. Second, it was a DIET. I would get so frustrated and felt deprived after a certain amount of time (whether it be a week, a day, or a month), have a few bad days, and then fall of the proverbial wagon. It was as if I was eating things that I knew I shouldn't out of spite. Like "Ha, Ha Weight Watchers, I'm eating Mexican and having three Margaritas. What are you going to do about it?" Of course, we all know the only person I was hurting was myself.

I now have my mind set. School will be out for the summer starting next week. I will have an extra hour in the morning normally spent getting kids up, fed, and out. I can choose to sleep, or get my butt up and walk for at least 30 mins. As often as possible, I'm going to walk. A few years ago, SuZan used to live just down the street from me. We took advantage of the proximity and would walk at least once if not twice a day. We looked (and felt) great! I have decided that I most likely will cancel my gym membership and stop at SuZan's house on the way home from the office, and we will walk at least 3 days a week. We are going to hold each other accountable! That is how I've chosen to start my weight loss journey. I'm going to start slow then KICK BUTT!

I am also going to try to adjust my portions. I've heard and read that your body can't process food efficiently when eating portions larger than your palm. So, I'm going to try that. I'm also going to try to choose foods from each food group with each meal when possible. (Chocolate IS a food group, isn't it?).

I'm not going to post the weight that I'm out now. I will post my goal weight. For my height, the ideal weight range is 125-135. I plan to post any victory, whether its a NSV (non-scale victory) or an actual weight loss. Things that I classify as NSV's in my book are-my clothes fitting better, more energy, sticking with my exercise plan, making better food choices at a time when making poor food choices would be easier, and other things such as that.

I look forward to comments, questions and suggestions. Please remember, this is a PERSONAL journey. I may have "stinken thinken" occasionally, but that's my choice. At times like that, please try to render suggestions with a compassionate heart and a gentle hand.

Get ready, get set, GO.........................

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 10:21 PM :: 4 comments

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International Very Good Looking, Damn Smart Woman's Day

Today is:
International Very Good Looking, Damn Smart Woman's Day
Remember this motto to live by:

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming...
Damn, What a ride!!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 4:33 PM :: 0 comments

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Tuesday, May 17, 2005 The baby of the family doesn't stand a chance!

One of the biggest complaints that I hear from my two oldest children is "the baby gets everything he wants, its always his way". Keep in mind, the baby they are referring to would be my youngest son who is about to turn 12! I happen to be the "baby" of the family and heard this with regularity from my older brother and sister. In actuality, I felt like THEY were the ones who got everything or more so, got AWAY with everything. This may sound odd, but I just ended a phone conversation with my youngest son and had to laugh at my reaction, or lack there of to a behavior issue. I am interested in finding out if others out there see this as the "baby" actually getting the short end of the stick.

To recap, my cell phone rings at 2:00 and I recognize the number to be that of the Jr. High that my youngest son attends. The conversation went something like this-"Mom, I was supposed to turn in homework last Thursday (today is Tuesday). I forgot to do it." Hearing the teacher in the background and being that this is my 3rd one to go through 6th grade I say "Did the teacher send it home for you to do over the weekend?" "Yes, but I forgot to do it then also". "Son, I asked you if you had homework when I opened your backpack and saw the book in there, that means that you lied to me." Suddenly I'm faced with silence on the other end. I know that I must be right in my assumption and, unbeknownst to my son, his silence was basically his admission of guilt. "Son, you now must do it tonight and you are grounded this Friday. No friends may come over and you may not visit them." At this point he realizes that he can't deny anything as the teacher is standing right there. When he gets home, he calls and is very "short" with me wanting an answer to a specific question, but no chit-chat.

You may be asking how this is relevant to the title. I'll tell you how. With my 1st, I would have assumed the teacher was at fault, or that I obviously did something that caused mental anguish and this is his way of acting out. I would have administered punishment, run to the book store, checked out every book on better parenting because I would have been sure that somehow I failed him as a parent and he acted because of me. By the end of the day, I would be rationalizing the punishment and decide that I was too harsh. Then my 2nd comes along and tries some of the same stunts. I'm learning their tricks and manipulations. I've created relationships with their teachers (we're on a first name basis, my first two are just a year a part in school). I've figured out that it's not the end of the world if my child doesn't talk to me because they are angry. But I most likely second guessed my punishment as life circumstances tend to get a bit overwhelming when you're trying the be the "Supermom" (more on that later). Now, child three comes along, get the call, know the drill, administer the punishment, stick to it, and laugh at what my reaction was when child #1 tried this same stuff. I am completely confident with my decision and know that my child's actions most likely does not mean that he is a juvenile delinquent, but more likely, he's just being a kid. Case in point, he doesn't stand a chance of getting out of this punishment because my other two children raised me well, therefore, he gets the short end of the stick.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 6:33 PM :: 2 comments

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Wednesday, May 11, 2005 Why This Blog:

The purpose of this blog is to celebrate women, real women, chaotic, turbulent, frazzled, extraordinary women.

Extraordinary women are women who work, play, live, raise children, married or single, who do it all, sometimes by choice, sometimes out of necessity, to make life rich and full.

One of the best things about doing this project is that we are very different individuals that approach things in very different ways. We do however share one passion, our families. Our goal with this blog and our future podcasts is to have a forum to share our thoughts, feelings, goals, desires and passions with other people, at the same time allowing them to share with us. We feel that women play such a strong role in the world, but tend to forget one very important thing, themselves!

What you will not find here is the image of women that advertisers and suburban life want you to project. You will find truth, honesty, and a sincere view of what is on our minds from incidents in everyday life, questions that arise, and even product reviews. We believe that it is O.K to cry a little but laugh a lot to help keep our sanity. As we progress through this adventure, we hope that something said or shared via this forum will touch someone in a positive way. We are not Martha Stewarts; we are not Queens of Clean, we are real women in an unrealistic world…..trying to keep it Real!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 5:47 PM :: 0 comments

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Thursday, May 05, 2005 One Flaw In Women

By the time the Lord made woman, He was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so much time on this one?"
And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her?

She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable
and able to run on diet coke and leftovers, have a lap that can hold four children at one time, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart

-and she will do everything with only two hands."

The angel was astounded at the requirements. "Only two hands!? No way!
And that's just on the standard model?
That's too much work for one day.
Wait until tomorrow to finish. But I won't," the Lord protested.
"I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart.
She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days."

The angel moved closer and touched the woman.
"But you have made her so soft, Lord."
"She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough.
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

"Will she be able to think?", asked the angel.
The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason and negotiate."

The angel then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.
"Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model.
I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one." "That's not a leak, "the Lord corrected, "that's a tear!"
"What's the tear for?" the angel asked.
The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride."

The angel was impressed.
"You are a genius, Lord.
You thought of everything!
Woman is truly amazing."
And she is!

Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideals.
They give moral support to their family and friends.

Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN, IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 5:42 PM :: 0 comments

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