Shell’s “Shameful” Secrets (29 Days & Counting)

Some of my friends would say I have no shame. And I would agree that I’m hard to embarrass but I do believe I have some habits or tendencies that some other people might find embarrassing or shameful. So I figured, why not write them down to share. I was a little inspired by Oprah’s show last week titled “Are You Normal?” It got me thinking…I’m way normal. So why not share some of my shameful secrets. Here goes:

Shameful Secret #1: I am a complete sucker for Amanda Bynes or Hilary Duff movies. That’s right! I see What a Girl Wants or A Cinderella Story on television and you bet your ass that my household chores have just been put on hold. I think I could honestly say I watched Sydney White every other day on my maternity leave, which was 10 weeks long mind you. And unlike other movies I’m so passionate about that I want you to know why I love them, there is absolutely no good reason for these. They aren’t even good high school flicks that I adore so much. (Think Never Been Kissed and Sixteen Candles as top choices in that category.)

Shameful Secret #2: I still like to listen to NSYNC’s Celebrity album. First of all, I think their two best songs are on this album which are “Girlfriend” and “Gone.” But take those songs aside and I still would listen to every single song in it’s entirety with the exception of the one ballad. I do have some pride though; I don’t listen to Backstreet Boys. They are and always will be inferior to NSYNC!

Shameful Secret #3: Now this one is a little embarrassing. Dr. Oz said on Oprah that the average person touches their nose 5 times per hour. And I believe it. Have you ever found yourself picking your nose without thinking about? I have. What do you do with that booger that is now attached to your finger? Well in my last car I wiped them on the underside of my seat and my dear husband got to find that little pile of wonderfulness…he still teases me about it. But seriously, I want to say sometimes a Kleenex just doesn’t cut it like a finger does. I no longer wipe my hand clean on my seat…want to guess wear those boogers go now??? I flick them out the window! Now don’t misquote me, I don’t pick my nose 5 times per hour. And if I have a Kleenex I’ll always try that first but when I feel a clingy crusty, you know I’m going in to get it. Also, I should add…after I blow my nose, I look!

Shameful Secret #4: I compare all young adult shows to my alma mater; Dawson’s Creek. Though watching it now is a little boring because what was racy and controversial then is no longer shocking. Remember Pacey sleeping with his teacher? Remember when Jack came out of the closet? Big news then, not so much now. And I’d also like to credit them with giving young adults vocabulary that was out of this world. I use to think “Who talks like that?” Perhaps Diablo Cody took a few notes from Dawson’s Creek and upped their annity when she wrote the screenplay for Juno. (Yes, I know Juno is awesome, DC is not.) Anywho, I love Dawson’s Creek even though it ain’t kosher.

Shameful Secret #5: I have peed in the shower and I’m sure it will happen again. Sometimes I just don’t feel like I have to pee until I’m in the shower and all wet. So out of laziness of getting out, feeling cold and drying off, I just let it go down the drain. I know for a fact I’m not the only one who’s done this but it’s not my right to “out” anyone here. Since I’m in the realm of bathroom habits, I guess I could also add that I when I do use a toilet I actually sit on toilets. I don’t hoover. I don’t use seat covers or wrap the toilet in paper. I just stick my heiny down and use the bathroom. I ain’t afraid of no ghosts…I mean germs.

That’s it for today on “shameful” secrets. Do I have more? Heck yeah I do. But I got to leave something I can write about at another time. Wanna share any of your “shameful” secrets?

For those who are following my weight loss count down, below are my weigh ins:

9/28: 218.4
10/6: 217.0
10/13: 215.2
10/21: 214.4
10/27: 214.0

Little by little I’m getting there.

Saying Goodbye to a Long-Term Relationship

The time has come to part ways. I have let you become too important in my life. You have made me lazy and have taken up too much of my time. It’s time to say signora to cable! That’s right, me the self proclaimed TV Queen is giving up cable. Now, to be fair this isn’t all my decision. I didn’t wake up and come to the realization that I need to give up cable. My husband and I are feeling more and more pressure about our everyday bills. If either of us were to lose our jobs, we’d be so SCREWED! So in effort to take charge of our debt, we are tightening our belts and getting rid of what is not absolutely needed and that means goodbye cable. You will be missed. (And looks like the smart phones are going too. It was fun while it lasted.)

Now, this is big. Why is it big? I seriously feel like I am involved with cable. When we first got our DVR I felt the freedom to be able to watch any show on any channel at anytime. I went from watching maybe five shows per week to over 20. Plus my husband is a bit of a workaholic so this has given me company while he’s at work and Desmond is in bed. I’m also a sucker for everything. I want Mundo to win Project Runway, Damon to get the girl, Blair and Chuck to reconcile, New Directions to win state, etc. etc. I like crying and laughing while watching tv. I can’t help but imagine myself in the characters shoes; They cry, I cry. It kinda felt like each show gave me a new life experience so to speak. Sad but true.

I do realize I won’t miss every show that I watch. Having a DVR gave me the opportunity to keep watching shows that are really bad but since I have the time, I kept watching. (The Secret Life of American Teenager this comment is aimed at you.) The departure of cable in my home will mean more reading time. I will definitely have time now to fit in The Deathly Hallows before the next movie and I’ll even get to start The Game of Thrones that is sitting on my kitchen table. This also means I’ll make better use of my Netflix subscription. We have lowered our package to the lowest one possible but still get unlimited online viewing. Lately we have been sitting on several movies for months. Now without cable, we’ll watch and return our movies much quicker and with the online option we’ll still get to watch shows; it’ll just be a season or two behind. I can deal with that.

But as a special thank you for giving me joy when I was bored, I’d like to say goodbye to the following tv shows: True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, Saturday Night Live, Friday Night Lights, Glee, Gossip Girl, America’s Next Top Model, Project Runway, Vampire Diaries, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, Secret Life of an American Teenager, Sesame Street, Tosh.0, The Soup, Oprah, Cougar Town, Last Comic Standing and Hell’s Kitchen. (I’m sure I missed a few, please forgive me.)

What keeps you entertained at home?

43 Days and Counting

Des & I at our local pumpkin farm.

It’s been two weeks since I’ve checked in. I know I said it would be a weekly thing but sometimes life doesn’t give you enough time to write a blog each week. But don’t think that just because I didn’t update, I didn’t weigh in either. Not the case!

The first week was ROUGH! I had what I assume was a sinus infection. I waited so long to go to the doctor that I think it was already on its way to resolving itself but they put me on antibiotics none-the-less and now I’m feeling much, much better. That week I went from having no appetite and hardly eating to eating just for comforts sake. And not only was I sick and not watching what I ate; I was also so miserable that I didn’t get in ANY exercise.

The second week I was just a jerk to myself. I had no reason not to jump on the band wagon but I continued to make poor eating decisions after being sick. But luckily this attitude didn’t last for long and as of this Monday, I am doing great. My eating is under control. I am exercising again and feeling empowered about my decision to take back control. So how did my weigh-ins go?

9/28: 218.4
10/6: 217.0
10/13: 215.2

Not bad for two half-assed weeks! I’m losing an average of 1.65lbs per week which is a little under what I needed to reach my goal before my 10 year reunion but at this pace I’d be down approximately 13.2lbs so I can live with that. Also, there’s plenty of time left. I would imagine with a full week’s effort I could be able to top 1.65lbs week, so there’s just enough hope left of reaching Onederland by my reunion.

Till next week!

Shell goes to Extremes for Relief

Hi Everyone - Just wanted to post a quick update. I've been sick all week. I missed an awesome skating practice this week which is still depressing me but I thought it would be funny if I showed you a Neti Pot. I had heard the good things it can do if you're congested and I can honestly say I had no idea what the heck it was.

If you choose to use a Neti Pot please read the instructions. I kinda skipped right to the doing and I'm no means a doctor so check with them if this is meant for you.

Here's to a healthier week,
Shell

57 Days and Counting

There is exactly 60 days till my 10 year High School Reunion but only 57 days that I can make the most of what I got. My lovely alums have decided to pick Thanksgiving weekend as our reunion date. I don’t mind the timing, I just wish there was more notice. All year I knew this reunion was quickly approaching and thankfully I have been able to shed 21 pounds till now. But I’m still nowhere near where I could have been had I stayed dedicated throughout the year. So I’ve decided I need a bit of a game plan to make the most of my 57 days.

First off, what a crappy day to start; I have one of my worst colds ever right now. Even my eyes are juicy and starting to crust over. I can’t taste food and have a lack of appetite. The lack of appetite isn’t bad but your body needs nutrition so it’s like force feeding myself right now, I hate it! Anyways, my first plan of attack is Wednesday weekly weigh ins, starting today and ending the day before Thanksgiving. This will keep me accountable. I’m also making weekly videos for youtube with Veronica. Sometimes though our schedules don’t work out and a week is missed and I can’t afford to not weigh in one week and play naïve. If you’re interested in our videos (trust me they aren’t anything special) go to youtube and search for Fatgirlslittlecoat.

I’m also going to follow weight watchers during this time. I have been very successful with weight watchers in the past and I know it can help now. Lately I’ve been just watching what I’m eating and it has kept me at status quo which is good to know that I can continue that when I reach my ideal weight but since I’m not at ideal I need to be more strict right now.

Next step, exercise goals. I’m actually ahead of the game here because I’m in a routine already. Right now I am skating twice a week. That’s four hours of fun exercise. It truly is awesome. I get the burn and pain from a workout but actually enjoy it. It’s my newest addiction and an absolute joy to do. But that’s not all. I also have a membership to my local park district that includes workout classes. On average I’ve been catching one Zumba class a week. So my new goal is to up the ante and make two weekend classes each week instead of one. That would bring my exercise total to about six hours per week. Not too shabby!

So here is today’s weigh in…drum roll please….

9/29: 218.4 (I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.)

My goal is to reach Onederland by the reunion. So to get to 199.9 in the next 8 weeks I’ll have to lose an average of 2.3lbs per week. Not unspeakable but definitely a challenge.

My biggest problem I find is that I can’t think outside the box with food. So if you’ve got a great food find or perhaps an amazing recipe, please share it with me. What keeps you thin?

True Blood Season Finale Suckage

**Warning: This contains spoilers for the season three finale of True Blood. You have been warned!**

What the heck happened? I swear last nights episode of True Blood felt completely out of place. My first concern is about Sookie…what did you do to her? Seriously, where did she go? I know I’m a reader of the books and that sways my opinions a lot about characters, but I think that even if you’re just a fan of the show you’ve seen that Sookie is not a mean or spiteful person. Her interactions with Russell felt completely out of character for me. The Sookie I have grown to love would protect herself for sure, but to purposely “torture” Russell by throwing the remains of his loved one down the garbage disposable, is just a step too far out of normal for her; I didn’t like it.

As for the “cliff hangers,” I hated those as well. Did Sam shoot and kill is brother? Does anyone even care!?! Is Tara gone for good? I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one that would think that Tara’s departure would be a good riddance for the show anyways. Where did Sookie go in fairyland and why are these fairies so fraking lame? Am I the only person that cringes when Claudine appears? This fairy crap is just that…crap! Who will win the fight between the Queen and Bill? Again, who cares!?! And speaking of their fight, when did True Blood turn into the Matrix? I hope to never see the start of a fight mid-air ever again. That fight belongs and should stay in the Matrix only. What were you thinking Alan Ball?

I like the idea behind Eric’s choice to incase Russell in concrete so he could lament over the lose of Talbot but this just ensures that Russell is not gone yet. Yes, he’s being tortured for centuries and that is totally something Eric would do, but it leaves it open to Russell coming back and he’ll be madder than heck. I’m hoping and praying he stays put because I’ve had enough of Russell as well.

I was just overall disappointed with last nights episode; Finales usually have a wow factor. I kept waiting and waiting and it never happened. This was shocking to me because this season has been so fast paced, action packed and just truly bizarre from the start, that the finale had to have something special. Instead it felt like too much of a filler episode where they wanted to end certain storylines and set-up new ones. Had this episode been any other episode than the finale it would have been less disappointing.

Now, I hate being negative so let me focus on the few positives of the show. As a reader, I knew the witches were coming and I’m looking forward to seeing them. I like the foreshadowing they showed with that crazy-spooky doll in Hoyt and Jessica’s new place. You can tell something will happen there by the eerie music they played; they wanted you to notice that tore-up looking doll. I adore Lafayette so I’m glad to see them pulling him into witchcraft area. I also love Jesus but I’m predicting that he being a witch and Lafayette’s yet to be revealed history will start to clash.

My favorite moment though was short and sweet last night. Eric finally nailed the coffin shut for Bill and Sookie’s romance by revealing the secrets Bill had been keeping from her. Now, I realize there isn’t much in the show to make me Team Eric, it’s mostly based on the books, but I was internally screaming “YES!” because I can’t stand Bill and this is finally opening up the Eric reign. So I’ll end this here blog a little cryptically…bring on the amnesia!!!


And just because it's funny; here is the "rejected" Rolling Stone cover, lol.

Sprinkles Cupcakes - Food Diary of a Fat Girl

A few weeks ago I was driving home from work and I heard an interview on the radio discussing the grand opening of Sprinkles in downtown Chicago. I don’t remember the owners name but I do remember the way she was describing her Cinnamon Sugar cupcake…I was salivating! The next day, I googled Sprinkles and sent a list of cupcakes to my husband, who works downtown, that if he ever wanted to surprise me, here’s a bunch of cupcakes I would love to try. I almost forgot about this request, until last Friday my dear husband came home with a dozen cupcakes for me for our anniversary. (What a sweetie, huh?!)

So what’s my review??? It’s mixed. The current prices online are $3.25/cupcake or $36/dozen, which is not the current prices, they are a little higher now. So between the high price and the fact that Oprah raved about these cupcakes, my expectations were really high; They did not always meet those expectations.

The first cupcake I bit into was the Cinnamon Sugar. I am normally a vanilla or chocolate fan but I craved for this cupcake ever since I heard about it. The cupcake was light and moist. I enjoyed the actual cake part but the topping was too lightly sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. It just didn’t have enough. It would have gotten an A+ had it had a bit more. It just ended up tasting a little plain. This is one of the few cupcakes I ate entirely to myself.

The majority of the cupcakes were spilt with my friends and family. One that sticks out was the Chai Latte. I normally would never order this one and I find out that is with good reason. After one bite of my half, I was not willing to finish the rest of the cupcake and neither was my friend. In my personal opinion this cupcake is a total waste of calories and I would be interested to talk to someone who likes it and hear why. It was just gross. First time I ever met a cupcake that I wouldn’t finish.

But things were looking up after that; the Pumpkin, Lemon Coconut, Red Velvet, Strawberry & Vanilla cupcakes were outstanding. I’m not surprised about the liking the Pumpkin. What’s not to love when you mix pumpkin and cream cheese? That’s hard to mess up. I was surprised about the Lemon Coconut though. I don’t like either of those flavors but their cake had just a hint of the lemon flavor and their coconut cream cheese frosting was also subtle. I liked the Red Velvet. This was actually my first time trying Red Velvet and between the moist cake and the cream cheese frosting it was a winner. The Strawberry had a really yummy frosting and I was sad that I had to spilt this one three ways. The vanilla was also enjoyable; their vanilla frosting is very creamy but the only down fall for this one was the sprinkles. I would prefer my cupcakes without and this delish frosting was coated with them.

I basically found that I REALLY liked their cream cheese and vanilla frosting and their vanilla or “spiced” cake. They were highly superior to all their chocolate counterparts. This seems to be a cupcake shop where the flavors aren’t too strong and in your face. This worked well for the vanilla or “spiced” cakes with vanilla or cream cheese frosting, but when I think of chocolate I think melt in your mouth, cocoa explosion and powerful flavor, so when I tasted these chocolate cupcakes it just wasn’t cutting it.

Overall, I think it was a cool experience to try these hyped up cupcakes but I won’t be running to the store to get more.