Happy Halloween!

10/20/2008

10/19/2008

10/18/2009

10/17/2009

10/16/2008

10/15/2008

10/14/2008

A Few Things Your Child's Teacher Won't Tell You

I saw this in reader's digest and had to share, because as a teacher, they are ALL true!

1. If we teach small children don't tell us that our job are "so cute" and that you wish you could glue and color all day long.
2. I'm not a marriage counselor . At parent teacher conferences, let's stick to your child's progress, not how your husband won't help you around the house.
3. We're sick of standardized testing and having to "teach the test."
4. Kids used to g out and play after school and resolve their problems on the own, now with computers and TV, they lack the skills to communicate, they don't know how to get past hurt feelings without telling the teacher and having her fix it.
5. When I hear a loud belch, I remember that a student's manners are a reflection of his/her parents'.
6. Your child may be the center of your universe, but I have to share mine with 25 others.
7. Please help us by turning off the texting feature on your child's phone during school hours.
8. Guys who dribble a ball for a couple of hours a game can make up to $20 million a year. We educate future leaders and make about $51,000 a year.
9. We take on the role of mother, father, psychologist, friend and adviser every day. Plus, we're watching for learning disabilities, issues at home, peer pressure, drug abuse and bullying.
10. Kids dish your secrets all the time-money, religion, politics, and even Dad's vasectomy.
11. Please, no more mugs, frames or stuffed animals. A gift card to Starbucks or Staples would be more then enough. A thank you note = even better.
12. We love snow days and three day weekends as much as your kid does.
13. The students we remember are happy, respectful, and good hearted, not necessarily the ones with the highest grades.

Hilarious!

Are you bored?

Here are 6 time wasting Internet sites:

1. Jacksonpollock.org You can make art with the click of your mouse!

2. http://vimeo.com/ Foreign film equivalent of you tube!

3. http://www.unnecessaryquotes.com/ A blog with funny signs/quotes!

4. http://www.wheresgeorge.com/ Track your dollar bills!

5. http://flixxy.com/ Funny videos!

6. http://balldroppings.com/ Fun game!

Hawaii

Last year at this time, we were on our way to beautiful Hawaii, so for the next few days I decided to post a picture of Hawaii!

One Year Ago

I met my best friend at the altar and we said "we do!" It's been an amazing year and whoever said the first year of marriage is the hardest, I have to disagree!! We took a nice 4 day weekend to Sebec, ME to celebrate our anniversary, our second trip for our 1st anniversary is to St. Lucia in December. Pictures to come of Maine!

Apples

Since Fall is here are some random facts about Apples!

1. Apples will stay crisp in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. If you have limited space in a crisper drawer, store in an open cardboard box in a cool place like your garage or basement.
   
2. Apple picking season is generally from the beginning of September through the first week in November. Find an orchard near you at pickyourown.org.
3. Look for the most bright colored apples with a firm, crisp skin.
   
4. To pick an apple, palm it in your hand and pull upward. Twisting and yanking might disturb neighboring apples because them to fall and bruise.
5. Apples release a gas called ethylene that speeds their ripening. If the produce is to tart for your taste, let the fruit sit on the counter in a brown paper bag for a couple of days, allowing it to sweeten and mellow.
6. Pick fruit from the outer, most sun-kissed sections of the tree. The shadier area close to trunk ripens later.

Self Healthy Food Awards 2009

Recently, Self Magazine held their 2009 Self Healthy Food Awards, you can see all the winners on their website, but here are just a few that won and I have eaten:

Best Treats & Sweets:
1. Best Potato Chip- Kettle Brand Baked Potato Chips
120 Calories, 3 grams of fat.These are really good, they don't even taste like a "light" chip, I love the crunchy-ness that these chips have.

2. Best Granola Bar:
Kashi TLC Dark Chocolate Coconut
120 calories, 3.5 grams of fat
I haven't had this particular kind, but I've had the peanut butter Kashi bar and I honestly wasn't a fan, it was too dry for me. I like fiber one or special-k bars a lot better.

3. Best Cookie:
Pepperidge Farm Soft Baked Oatmeal
140 calories, 5 grams of fat, per cookie
These are SO good. My only problem with this, is while they are huge, it's very hard to not eat more then one.

4. Best Jam:
Polaner All Fruit
40 calories, 0 grams of fat, per tablespoonI've tried all of the different flavors polaner has of jams and they are great. They are all tasty and also work well if you are using them to bake.

5. Best Pasta:
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Rotini
180 calories, 2 grams of fat, per 2 ounces

We use all of the brands of the healthy harvest pasta and they are good. You do need to cook them a few minutes longer then a regular pasta, but I definitely recommend trying this pasta.


6. Best Ice Cream:
Edy's Light Slow Churned Neapolitan
100 calories, 3 grams of fat, per 1/2 cup
We also have had a lot of the flavors of this ice cream, and we also like the Edy's yogurt blends ice cream.

Again you can see the whole list of winners here:
Self Healthy Food Awards

Pug Surgery Post Surgery 1 week

Well it's been one week since the Pug's luxating patella surgery! She is doing AWESOME! You probably couldn't even tell she had surgery a week ago if you didn't know it! You will see in the video she is walking like a champ! The past few days the scab is starting to fall off of her leg and the skin is starting to close up. The stitches are actually inside of her leg, so you can't see them, but you can just see the skin healing. Just like in humans, when the scab falls off, you get that pink looking new flesh and that's what she's got.

We are having a lot of trouble with her though, she isn't allowed to run, jump, etc, etc, for another 7 weeks! She doesn't quite understand that! We are doing our best though to keep it all to a minimum. She is wanting to go for a walk so bad, so we have taken her from our house to the mail box and just around the backyard a bit. Next week when she goes for her check up we will ask Dr. Cofone if he thinks a small walk around the block is fine.

One thing that is good, is that she has been able to move her bowels. Typically, after the luxating patella surgery, dogs, won't go to the bathroom(#2) for a week. But she has been going since last week.

She was given two pain pills. Rimadyl which she has been on before the surgery, because it's an anti-inflammatory and tramadol, which is a pain pill. She refuses to take the tramadol, so the vet said it's just fine to take the rimadyl. She actually was foaming at the mouth when we tried to give her the tramadol.

But overall, her progress is going well and we couldn't be happier. It's nice to see her, with her spurts of energy again!

Here's a picture of her leg:
You can see where the scab is falling off.

Here's a video of her, running around tonight:

Happy Birthday To My Mom!

Happy Birthday To My Mom!

Puggie Surgery Day 5

Just wanted to share a picture of her leg, Day 5 after surgery of bruising she is having.

Some Inspiration

The past two weeks I've been incredibly busy with school, lesson plans, and the pug's surgery. Which you can probably guess that means I haven't been working out like I should be or eating the healthiest way I can be eating. I've worked out three times in the past two weeks. I haven't gained anything, but I just don't feel the same when I don't work out. I'm *hoping* to resume running on Monday.

But in the midst of all of this, I found some inspiration today. I wasn't even expecting it, which is the best part. It seem to come at a right time too, because I'm in that "I don't want to work out or eat healthy zone", and needed something to get me going.

Well this did it:
These aren't my jeans, just a picture I found online. But they were my inspiration.
Why you are probably asking?
Well because my mom bought this one pair of jeans for me about 5 years ago, and I've never been able to wear them. I decided today I'd try them on to see if they finally would button and they did!
So now you can see why I said when I least expected to find some inspiration to keep me going, I did and it definitely was a boost for me to keep going!

Puggie's Home!

I'm going to *try* to do weekly updates on Puggie's progress, so that others who may have a dog needing the same surgery have places to read on what to expect, etc. Chris and I searched and searched for more personal experiences and only found a few. So I'm hoping this will someday hope someone.

So, Puggie is home. She came home last night around 7:30. She looked ok, pretty drugged up though. She gave a few kisses and was anxious to get out of the car. She is drinking like crazy, but I'm sure, because just like in humans, when we go under an IV or anesthesia, afterwords your pretty thirsty for some reason.

She's actually trying to walk on her little leg, which she isn't suppose to do be doing quite as much as she is. But, on the other hand that is a good sign, just because we hope she will hopefully recover sooner. We were afraid that she'd be a baby and not even walk on it(if you know the pug, she tends to be a drama queen!)

Here is a picture of her incision:

Doesn't she look silly with a shaven leg? She also has two front shaven legs, where the IV's where.

Here's a small video of her walking, remember this is her first day home surgery just yesterday.
Most dog don't even put any pressure on the foot.




A second video of her eating her dinner, don't mind our messy house, it's been one of those weeks!

Pug's Surgery

As most of my readers know, Puggie had to have surgery on her left knee. She has what is a called a luxating patella. Basically her knee doesn't fit into the socket properly causing it to pop out at any given time.

Today she had her surgery. At first the Dr. Cofone thought she had torn some cartilage as well, but when he opened her little leg today he saw that she actually also had a torn ligament besides the luxating patella. So they placed two pins into her knee and basically spooned out her knee cap to make the groove bigger. So she is all fixed.

She's still at the doggie hospital in Delaware and will be there over night till later tomorrow evening when Chris picks her up.

It's going to be a long road, as it is an 8 week recovery period, with just about 24/7 crating the first few weeks, if we aren't home. When we are home, she will be out with us, but she basically isn't allowed to use the leg for a few weeks. I'll update everyone tomorrow once she is home.

Keep Puggie in your thoughts please!

Where have I been?

I promise you I haven't forgotten about this blog. The past few weeks just went a little crazy! As most of you know, I took a year off of teaching because I started my own wedding business. I decided that teaching is what I do want to do and that the wedding business will just be a side job, so I started looking for teaching jobs earlier this year for this upcoming school year, and nothing was out there. With school districts making cuts, it's a very hard time for teachers to find jobs. Luckily, two weeks ago I got a phone call from a school to come in an interview for a kindergarten teacher position! I was offered the position and in less then 3 days, I had to come up with lesson plans and get a classroom in order!

So I've been a bit cranky, but I defiently am enjoying my class so far. I'm not used to getting up and working all day and then coming home and continuning to work on lesson plans, etc.

So, yes, I'm still here, and no I didn't give up on this blog. I'm going to *start* to reguraly post again.

Give Away!

***Update, we have our 3 winners!
Congrats to Kathy, Melissa and Amy!
Please email me at kupuggie@gmail.com***

I have give aways all the time on my food blog with fun food related items, but I have yet to have a give away on my Life As A Mrs. blog! So here it goes!

I recently received a handful of coupons from my friends over at Pssst to share with my blog readers!

So what is the give away? Three lucky winners will each win 2 coupons for the New Fiber One Yogurt!

zero guilt snacking

• Make snack time a treat for your taste buds and your waistline
• 50 calories + 0 grams of fat + 5 grams of fiber = zero guilt
• Four delicious flavors — Strawberry, Vanilla, Peach, Key Lime Pie

Each coupon is for $1.35 cents off one multi pack of yogurt.

All you have to do is leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite flavor of yogurt you like or what is your favorite ingredient to add to yogurt?

This give away will end on August 27, 2009 at 9:00 am. Winners will be chosen by random.org.

Good Luck!

Product Review: Fiber One Complete Pancake Mix

I recently purchased the Fiber One Complete Pancake Mix. I have been wanting to try it since I bought it, but just haven't had the chance. On Tuesday night, I met Chris after he was done work and we played 9 holes of golf. We didn't get home till close to 8 p.m., so we wanted something quick and easy to make. Chris opted for a BLT, but I decided to make a peanut butter waffle!

We typically use Bisquick. I honestly couldn't taste a difference between the two, besides the fact there's a lot more fiber and it's a bit more calorie friendly! The box tells you that if you use it for a pancake mix, it they maybe thin, but I couldn't tell any difference with a waffle, they were the same size and consistency as a regular mix.

The mix has 20% of your daily fiber needed. For 1/2 cup of mix, which is about 3 pancakes, it is only 180 calories! For two waffles it's 280 calories. I will definitely by this again when this box runs out!

How To Eat Clean Safely

Recently, I've been hearing a lot of people doing colon cleansing and other "cleansing" diets to lose weight. They aren't healthy at ALL. I was reading the July 2009 Self Magazine and came across this article and wanted it to share with my readers.

There are many health benefits to eat clean, but that doesn't mean doing a "cleansing diet" where you consume nasty liquids to lose weight. Eating clean means opting for foods that are naturally free of man-man stuff but full of good for you nutrients that keep your body systems humming along.

If you are interested in doing a one week cleanse, follow these simple rules, to do a naturally and healthy way. You may or may not lose weight, but it's a healthy way to clean out your system.

Skip added sugar:

• White sugars, brown sugar, honey are all sugar pumps, that puts calories into your diet and spikes blood sugar. Consuming too much of it also promotes inflammation, which can increase your risk for heart diseases and certain cancers and make you feel foggy and fatigued. So stay away from foods that list sugar, high fructose corn syrup or dextrose on the ingredient label.

Avoid Bad Fats:

• Saturated and trans fats can clog your arteries and promote inflammation. Nix trans fast by sidestepping fried foods and anything made with hydrogenated vegetable oils(check labels). Limit saturated fats to less then 7 percent of your total daily calories by wiping out high-fat marbled meats and choosing skim or 1 percent fat dairy products instead of full fat ones.

Pump Up Proteins:

• Lean proteins from sources such as chicken and wild salmon preserve your lean body mass, and having some at every meal stabilizes blood sugar levels and helps you feel fuller longer. Divide your body weight in pounds by 2, that's how many grams of protein you should aim to get each day.

Be a Teatotaler:

• Alcohol is taxing on your liver, plus it lowers your inhibitions, making it harder to resist unhealthy foods. Stick to water, seltzer, tea and coffee.

Reach For Fiber:

• Soluble fiber in oats and beans is filling and it helps pull cholesterol out of the bloodstream, moving it through the digestive track.

Chew, Swallow, Repeat:

• Taking in calories at regular intervals keeps your blood sugar stabilized and metabolism revved. Have breakfast with in 90 minutes of waking up, and aim to eat about every four hours.

For a complete one week menu, check out Self.Com.

Exercise For A Cause

I came across this awesome website this morning and wanted to share it with everyone!

The website is called, Plus 3 Network. Every workout you do cause raise money for different causes. There are corporate sponsors who donate 5 cents or more for every mile you bike, run, walk or swim and log on the site.

What an awesome website! For my 3 mile run yesterday, I donated .18 cents to the Breast Cancer Fund and my sponsor is Ahnu Footwear.

Check it out!

Blog It Forward To Fight Hunger

My local grocery store ShopRite, has an awesome program which the called "Partners In Caring". This program helps out the local community with many different things. One thing that they are working on right now is hunger.

The ShopRite organization recognized the pervasive problem of hunger experienced by so many people right in the neighborhoods served by their stores. It’s a problem that not only exists during the holiday season, when attention is focused on charitable giving, but it also exists throughout the year. ShopRite had already been helping to fight the problem of hunger for more than 20 years through its support of the Feeding America network (formerly America’s Second Harvest) and through participation in the Checkout Hunger program, but wanted to do more.

In 1999, ShopRite conceived and began its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, a year-round, community based hunger fighting initiative. With the help of more than 50 manufacturers, the program is committed to helping to feed and meet the nutritional needs of families and the elderly who may otherwise go without. These generous companies are a major reason why ShopRite Partners In Caring has been such a success.

Today, the ShopRite Partners In Caring program supports 23 regional food banks and more than 1,400 charitable agencies with food or meal components. With a $2 million annual donation, more than $20 million has been donated since 1999 in the fight against hunger.

How It Works

Companies that have joined ShopRite in the fight against hunger are marked in stores with the ShopRite Partners In Caring shelf label. By choosing these products, ShopRite customers support manufacturers who contribute to the program.

Each of the 217 ShopRite stores in the six states that ShopRite serves (New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland) selects qualified local organizations to benefit from the program. These local food charities use their designated funds to acquire supplies at a food bank.

Who Is Served

More than 36 million Americans go to bed hungry every night – 12 million of them are children. They could be your neighbors, people you know in the community or maybe somebody you said “hello” to this morning. ShopRite is committed to making a difference in the lives of its neighbors. That’s why ShopRite Partners In Caring dollars ultimately service a variety of organizations with feeding capabilities including emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, child care centers, battered women’s shelters, senior programs, drug rehab centers, programs for the mentally and physically disabled, after school programs and other organizations that support those in need in ShopRite communities.

Every time a customer purchases products with the ShopRite Partners In Caring shelf tag, they support the brands that support the fight against hunger. At ShopRite, customers are not just filling a grocery bag; they are helping to fill empty bowls for thousands of hungry families in your community.

ShopRite Partners In Caring is the Recipient of the Following Awards – among others:

• Good Neighbor Award – Food Marketing Institute (FMI)
• Retailer of the Year Award – America’s Second Harvest/Feeding America
• Outstanding Achievement Award – Hudson Valley Food Bank
• Crystal Toque Award – Philadelphia and South Jersey
• Outstanding Spirit Award – Monmouth and Ocean County Food Bank
• Connecticut Food Bank – Bill Liddell Award
• Corporate Excellence Award – Food Bank for New York City

Facts About Hunger in America

• More than 36 million Americans (11 percent of U.S. households) suffer from food insecurity
• Food insecurity is when you are unsure when or what your next meal will be

• Statewide food insecurity rates in the ShopRite area are:
• New Jersey – 7.7%
• Delaware – 7.8%
• Maryland – 9.5%
• Connecticut – 8.6%
• Pennsylvania – 10%
• New York – 9.8%

• More than 12 million children are growing up hungry

• Nearly 2 million seniors suffer from food insecurity

• During 2007, nearly 18 million children received free or reduced lunch

• There are many complications of hunger, especially for children, including:
• Weakened immune systems
• Cognitive and behavioral development problems; can cause irritability, fatigue and difficulty concentrating in younger children. Also proven to cause depression in some teenagers
• Slow or unusual development in areas such as speaking, behavior and movement

• A $1 donation can purchase 10 pounds of food from a food bank

*Facts are as reported by Feeding America

For more on the program, visit www.ShopRitePartnersInCaring.org

Today's Workout

I was talking to one of my friend tonight, Kim aka Geo. It reminded me to post something that I wanted to post earlier today but forgot! So thanks Geo!

This morning's run was a bit rough, though I did complete it, it was a bit hard. As I was running I thought at first it was because I hadn't run since last Wednesday. Then I thought, well I didn't get enough sleep last night either, and it was super humid/hot out already at 8 am this morning. Then I got to thinking more and knew that wasn't the problem. Yes, it's hard to keep up consistency in running when you do take a few days off, but the real problem was the food I consumed this weekend.

I had a lot of empty calories. What are empty calories you maybe asking your self? Well basically, if you don't know, empty calories come from foods that have high calories, are high in fats and really don't provide you with any nutritional value. Empty calories don't fill you so you want more, they also quickly add up in the pounds department if you go nuts.

I had A LOT, as I said this weekend. Like Cold Stone Creamery, cake batter with some gummi bears, 2 bear claws, applesauce spice bars, pizza, wings, cheese fries, Ben and Jerry's ice cream(are you kidding me!?) I haven't eaten like that in WEEKS, like 20 weeks! Which is fine from time to time, we all have some bad days on the eating train, and it's just important to get back on track, which I did today!

Your body needs substantial, nutritional calories to preform at a level where you don't feel run down or exhausted in your first ten minutes of any exercise.

I am glad that I'm able to see why my run/exercise wasn't great today and that I'm able to fix it without a problem!

Running Update

I thought this image of this guy running was funny. Anyways, a running update!

I'm running 10 minutes straight!! I know for you runners out there that's nothing! But I am finally running 10 minutes straight, walking 1 minute, running 10 minutes again, walking 1 minute and finishing the cycle with an 8 minute run. For a total of 30 minute workout, running 28 minutes and walking 2!

It's going to get more challenging when I get higher up, because instead of increasing the time only by one minute every two weeks, you increase it by 2 minutes each time!

I'm getting there my final goal is running 30 minutes straight, once I can do that, then I'll be looking for 5k's to sign up for.

But running in August in this area stinks. I have to get up at like 6:15 AM-ish, just to beat the heat and humidity!

Happy Running!

My Birthday Flowers!

Here are my birthday flowers my awesome hubby got me for my birthday:


Here is a cute picture of the hubs, before he cooked our yummy lobsters:

Finally! A Cricut!

I finally got a Cricut! It was my birthday present from my in-laws! I've been asking for one for awhile and finally got it!So what is a cricut? It's basically a cutting machine. You can do just about anything to making cards, to making place mats, bulletin boards, vinyls, glass etching, there is so much you can do. It would of been super great to have it last year when doing my own wedding invitations, but none the less, I'm super excited to learn more about it and start making projects!

Fiber One Yogurt

This stuff is really good!! If you like it, here is a coupon courtesy of My Blog Spark:

Print Your Coupon!

I did it!!

Extremely totally boast post here! But I deserve it!! You all remember that I was participating in Ash's challenge of losing 20 pounds and 20 weeks, and I completed it successfully!!!

I lost the 20 pounds, stay tuned for pictures!




38 pounds from -100!!

www.my-calorie-counter.com The webs free Diet Tracker

Shape's 100 calories or Less Snack

In the June 2009 edition of Shape magazine, they had a feature of their top 10 snacks under 100 calories. I'm always looking for new and exciting low calorie snacks to try, so I thought I'd share them with you.

1. Lindsay Garlic Seasoned Olives, 63 calories for 1 ounce can
2. Smashies Applesauce, 50 calories for a 3 ounce pouch
3. Popchips Salt & Pepper Chips, 100 calories for a 1 ounce bag
4. Garden Lites Zucchini Portabella, 70 calories for a 7 ounce box
5. Nesquik Chocolate Milk, 100 calories for 8 ounce bottle
6. Kettle Cuisine Organic Carrot and Coriander Soup, 100 calories for a 10 ounce bowl
7. Cabot Reduced Fat Cheddar with Omega 3 DHA, 70 calories for 1 ounce
8. Jell-O with Antioxidants Raspberry Goji, 10 calories for a 3 ounce cup
9. Das Caramelini Cafe Cafe Cortado, 62 calories for 2 pieces
10. Emerald Nuts 100 calorie packs cocoa roast Almonds, 100 calories per 1 ounce bag

If you have ever tried any of these, let me know how they are!

*Adapted from Shape, June 2009.*

Bad, Bad Green Bean!

I love green beans. They are my favorite veggie! But today my green bean plant is a bad, bad plant! I was tending to our garden, picking off the many wonderful veggies that have harvested, and the prickly part of the green been plant, bit my arm! Did it really bite me, no, but I accidentally rubbed my arm against it. If you aren't sure what I mean, see this picture(not my plant, but you can see what I mean).
So, I come inside and wash my hands and all of a sudden I start to get this huge welt on my arm where the plant rubbed against it. The only thing I can see, is that because I'm allergic to raw green beans(if you re-call I have a raw veggie/fruit allergy to some). Here is a pic of my arm, don't mind the mole on my arm, it's tiny, but in this picture it looks HUGE:



Weird, huh, any ideas?

8 Reasons to Love your Body

Start today! Life is short so why spend it bashing your body? If you need some help to jump start your self appearance, read these 8 reasons of why to embrace your self and your body!

1. Because it's unique, no one else has the same one.
2. Because it's capable of extraordinary feats, enabling you to run, climb, jump, lift, squat, snuggle and spoon.
3. Because no matter how badly you treat it, it's willing to give you another chance.
   
4. Because it's expressive telling you how it feels(pay attention!!) and broadcasting to others how you feel about it.
5. Because let's face it, confidence is pretty sexy.
6. Because your daughter or future daughter must learn to love hers.
7. Because somebody out there admirers, covets, and adores it.
8. Because you'll regret not loving it more later.

From Shape Magazine, June 2009.

Week 17 20/20 Results

I can't believe it's week 17 already, that means only 3 more weeks of this challenge. I'm not quite sure what I'm doing after the 20 weeks. I mean, I will still be working out/eating healthy/running/trying to reach my goal of -100 pounds, but I'm gonna come up with something to stick it at all. So stayed tuned if you are interested in joining me!

Week 17 results, -1 pound.

20/20 Ticker:

www.my-calorie-counter.com     The webs free Food Tracker

Overall weight loss ticker:

A Few Updates

Just a few updates to keep everyone up to date on what's going on in our life!

First, since everywhere we go we get asked when we are having babies. We've decided, well more me then Chris, he's ready now. That will are not going to TTC until after the new year. I really want to enjoy our first year of marriage with Chris and the pug! Also, with going to St.Lucia in December, I'd rather not be pregnant there!

Oh yeah, St. Lucia you say, what? when? We are going to St. Lucia for our one year anniversary trip December 26 to January 2. We were originally going to go to Nevis, but when we went to book the trip the flights went up over $1,000 per ticket, I'll post another blog on St. Lucia later on.

Lastly and probably the most important/more serious one is Puggie. Most of you know we've been having trouble or I should say Puggie has been having trouble with her left leg/knee. Originally we thought it was Lyme's disease, so we took her to the vet to get tested and that came back negative. Thankfully. From there on, we were at my parent's house and we figured she'd just played with the cat too much and hurt her leg, so we took her to the vet again(we've been going there at least once every two weeks). They put her on a pain pill to manage the pain.
Well that wasn't working either. After she lays down or sits down for awhile, she is unable to get up on her own. When she is able to get up, she sits right back down because of the pain. Then we have to help her get her knee into place so she is able to walk. She hasn't been her self either. You know she always follows me where I ever I go and she hasn't been doing that, especially if I go the stairs because of the pain she gets, so we've been carrying her around a lot, and trust me she loves it! She's on complete bed rest, which I know you are probably saying how the heck do you do that in a dog. Basically she isn't allowed for any walks, besides to go to the bathroom and she isn't allowed to play with her doggie friends. The good part though is that she isn't gaining weight she's actually losing! She is now 25.5 pounds which helps with the pressure she puts on the knee! 3.5 pounds to go and she will be at her goal weight! She's really lethargic and not the little happy go lucky pug we know, so we took her back to the vet. It was easy to rule a broken bone or a fracture because there was no crying or yelping when getting up.

The vet diagnosed her with a luxating patella. What the heck is that you are probably saying, well basically it is, that her knee falls out of place because the groove of her knee cap isn't deep enough(dislocation). It's pretty gross, I got to feel it. Chris didn't want too, but I wanted to see exactly what the vet was talking about. She didn't even do x-rays because she is so sure of what it is. So the vet gave us some Rimadyl, which is an anti-inflammatory for doggies. She also told us to put her on daily dose of glucosamine and watch her for 2 weeks, with complete bed rest. Well it's been two weeks and it's not getting better, it's getting worse.

So our primary vet, who we love, and if you are in South Jersey, I so recommend going to Greenfields Veterinary. They just opened up their brand new building which is a dream compared to their old location. Everything is new and state of the art. Puggie loves the scale you walk on for some reason. As soon as we walk in she hobbles over to it every time and stands on it.

Anyways, she is sending is to Delaware to a Surgeon for Doggies. We go to Veterinary Specialty Center of Delaware next Friday for our consultation with the doggie surgeon. We don't have the total coast of the whole surgery yet, but it's roughly around $4,000. Yep, that much. But if it's going to help Puggie walk better, feel better and be her self, it's definitely wroth it for us.

So that's where we stand now with Puggie. I'll update everyone after our appointment next Friday.

MJ and the Media

I typically don't agree with Bill O'Reilly(Fox News Analyst) and his ideas, but this video he is on spot. I can't stand Mr. Hill though, he had a column in the paper on the train called The Metro and every column he did was about race and how blacks still aren't treated equally. What are your thoughts?

Week 15 20/20 Results

A little late to post this, but Friday I was down only -.5 pounds. I knew the past weekend with going to the concert and leaving for the cottage on Wednesday, that it wouldn't be a big week for me.

5 weeks left!

Product Review: Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters

Recently I was sent four packages of Nature Valley's new Granola Nut Cluster to taste and review. So far I've only tasted the Honey Roasted Peanut Clusters.

They are so yummy. It's totally like a granola bar but in a bite sized piece. They are also low in calories. They have 140 calories for 7 clusters. I highly recommend picking these up.
Right now if you go on the Nature Valley website you can print out a coupon for 1.00 off your next purchase of Nature Valley Nut Clusters.

Next I am going to try to the Roasted Cashew Clusters, I'll let you know how they are, but I bet they will be just as tasty as the Honey Nut Clusters.

Week 14 20/20 Results

Another great week!!

-1.5 pounds!!

This means I'm a total of -15.5 pounds for the challenge!!!

Ticker for 20/20:

www.my-calorie-counter.com     The webs free Weight Loss Tracker

Ticker for Over All Weight Loss:

1 year Anniversary Trip

We have the first weekend of our anniversary trip planned. The second part we are still deciding on an island to go to!

For our first part we will be traveling to Maine and have rented a cottage on a lake. The pug will also be going with us! I so want to see a Moose and have some lobster with a big old bib on, so we decided to go to Maine!

Here are some pictures of the place we are staying: