Operation Weight Loss Week 18- The incredible shrinking woman

This week I've maintained my weight loss and am holding at 162 for a total loss of 40 pounds since November 23. I am still excited because I know that I have been making good food choices and this week I took some much needed rest from exercising. My left foot has been bothering me tremendously and instead of doing heavy cardio and calisthenics I practiced yoga and when I was able to apply pressure to my foot I also danced.

We will see what next week holds but my biggest revelation over the past week has been that exercise does not have to be chore. Exercise can actually be fun and I am rediscovering this by doing Zumba, Bellydancing and am awaiting the arrival of a Ballroom dancing DVD that I hear is extremely challenging.

I think this is a very important to remember, exercising is something to look forward to if you find something that resonates with your soul. I have always been a dancer and have found some activities that incorporate dance and burn some serious calories. I know that next week I will both lose some weight and have fun while doing it!

Until next week, this is Renée, the Incredible Shrinking Woman, signing off!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust! A healthy option

Over the last few months I've been enjoying cooking food at home. My refrigerate is full of healthy options and I can always scrape up something to eat. However, sometimes I don't have plans for some of the food I buy and that can become a problem. Luckily for me I have my friends in the blogosphere to assist me. After posting my homemade Nutella my friend Tamona asked if I would make a pizza with a cauliflower crust. I'd never heard of such a thing but since I had a head (is that what you call it?) of cauliflower in the 'frig, making a pizza with it seemed like a great idea.

I found a recipe for the crust made from cauliflower, an egg and mozzarella cheese. I used 2% milk mozzarella.

While the crust was baking I cooked my toppings -

onions, gourmet mushrooms- portobello, shiitake and oyster, spinach and topped it with fresh tomatoes and a sprinkle of mozzarella. I also placed a small amount of pasta sauce as a base.

Here is the final result - it tastes delicious!

However, the crust was not crusty. It was more melted on the foil and I was unable to pick up the pizza in my hand. However, it was tasty and I am hoping that the failure with the crust might be due to the fact that I don't have a non-stick cookie sheet and on my husbands advisement I used foil. Next time I am just going to do the cookie sheet alone and perhaps the

crust will be more crusty. Overall I really enjoyed the taste and this is a great option, particularly if you are on a wheat-free, gluten-free or low-carb diet. This pizza is surprisingly low in calories so it is a guiltless pleasure.

Here is my entire recipe with nutritional information based on the ingredients that I used.

Pizza made with cauliflower dough

1 cup of cauliflower

1 cup of shredded 2% reduced fat mozzarella

1 egg

Pre-heat oven to 450.

Cook the cauliflower (I steamed mine but you can cook it any way you choose to) and once soft mash. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and spread on a cookie sheet covered with non-stick spray(Pam). Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Topping

2 oz gourmet mushroom mix - portobello, shiitake, oyster

.25 sliced onion

1.5 cups raw spinach

Italian spice mix

.25 cup pasta sauce (I used Ragu veggie mix)

Sprinkle of mozzarella

Saute mushrooms and onion add dash of Italian spice. Remove from heat and saute spinach.

Remove crust from oven top with pasta sauce, mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes. Top with cheese.

Return to oven until cheese melts. (In the original recipe it indicated place in grill, I suppose I should have up'd the heat to broil which might have made the crust crispy)

Enjoy!

Nutritional Info per slice (pizza makes 4 slices)

116 calories

6.5 carbs

5.7 gram of fat

12.5 protein

For more Wordful Wednesday visit Angie's 7 clown circus.

Homemade Nutella!

On Sunday evening I was writing, watching tv and reading the chatter on twitter (yes, I multi-task like that) and I saw a commercial for Nutella. I am probably one of the few folks that has never tried Nutella, I was first introduced to it when I lived in South Africa (long before it was available widely in the US). I never tried it because it just looked and seemed weird, I didn't like the name or the brown color so I just left it alone. But when I saw the commercial the other day I decided to ask about it on twitter. I was surprised and overwhelmed by all of the lovers of Nutella that came out of the woodwork!

I had at least 100 responses from folks that are fans and while chatting, I quipped that Nutella better have a fan page because it is hugely popular. Of course, I had to investigate and Nutella has close to 4 Million fans on facebook! Now I was completely intrigued, people on twitter were offering to buy and ship Nutella to me because I "am missing out." I was given recipes - like crepes with bananas and Nutella and was told that it even tastes great right out of the jar.

I visited the Nutella site to see what the nutrition information looked like because I was sure it had to packing sugar and calories. I wasn't mistaken, one serving size - 2 Tablespoons boasts 200 calories, 12 grams of fat and 21 grams of sugar and 3 grams of protein. Calories not withstanding, I was willing to "take one for the team" for purposes of investigating this beloved confection. However, the lone voice of @designmama emerged from the fray and she said that "she prefers homemade it is cheaper and tastes better." Now we were talking, I figure anything I make at home is going to be better than mass produced so I searched for a recipe, found several and last night made my first batch of Nutella!

It starts with raw Hazelnuts,

if you want to have a nuttier flavor you should toast them from 10 minutes but I forgot that step so I just placed them in the food processor.

Next I added organic vanilla,

fair trade unsweetened cocoa

powdered sugar, a little salt and canola oil. Unfortunately I was unable to find Hazelnut oil which probably would have taken the fat level down but that was okay. The entire mixture took about 10 -15 minutes to make and then it was time for a taste test.

I placed the chocolaty - nutty spread on a quarter of a tortilla and bit in.

My verdict? Delicious! If you are a fan of chocolate and nuts, you will love Nutella. I only made half of the recipe because I am the only person in the house that will eat it and I am not going to have this on a daily basis. I certainly will have it again, as a matter of fact I had it for breakfast on a bagel with strawberries.

I only use half a serving size- 1 tablespoon goes a long way. Per 2 tablespoon serving, my version has between 109-147 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 2 gram of protein. Of course when you are making it at home you can adjust the sweetness and amount of oil you use, my Nutella is not too sweet and not too nutty, for me it is simply delicious!

Despite being on a weight loss journey I truly believe in having everything in moderation. My homemade version of Nutella is a nice treat, not a daily indulgence and I can say thanks to twitter I am now a Nutella convert!

Homemade Nutella Recipe

• 2 cups chopped hazelnuts (filberts)
• 3/4 cup to 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder (such as Hershey's Extra Dark cocoa)
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup canola oil

Place hazelnuts in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until nuts start to clump together in a ball. This will take some time (about five minutes), so be patient. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and process again for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture turns dark and the ingredients are well combined. Now, slowly drizzle in enough oil to make a spread.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks.

Makes approximately two cups of nutella (16 servings).

Per serving: 147 calories, 12 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 9 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein, 0% vitamin A, 2% vitamin C, 2% calcium, 6% iron

Recipe Reprinted from Healthy Cooking Suite 101

The Tallahassee Diary

9/10/07 - Citizen’s call to LBR:  boxer abandoned in house next door  7-10 days ago.  Neighbors  has 3 boxers (2 parents and the white one was their baby.)  They left the white female because she would fight with her mom.  The man would come by every 2 or 3 days but he hasn’t been back in a while.   LBR reported the situation to the Humane Society of North Texas.  A cruelty officer located owner and received release to take the dog on 9/17.

9-19-07 - From the shelter:  Here are a few pics of your boxer friend - and I will try to get you more information such as heartworm status and etc tomorrow.  She's terrified of people, not leashed trained, but give her a home where she can build up some of the confidence she desperately needs, I think she will be a great dog. She does not seem to be a fear biter, as I carried her and loved on her in the office and she didn't snap once, she's just scared out of her mind right now.  Talk to you soon. 

9/23/07 -  I think she's been in the backyard all of her life, but we know she was alone for 2-3 weeks.  Today, I had to drag her out of her crate to potty.  She had held it since yesterday, and she ate a big dinner and drank plenty so I know she was dying.  She slunk to the back of the yard and went pee pee and poo poo right away. 

I thought I had all my dogs put up, but Levi was out in the yard.  I saw her looking at something and he came wiggling around the corner.  I just stood and watched to see what would happen.   They met and she seemed to relax a little.  He saw me and came over for some scratches and petting.  She was like "WTF?  You are PETTING him?"  I think she thought he was in trouble.  Anyway, she eventually relaxed enough to venture into the house and sat by me at the computer for a minute.  I think it helps for her to see that dogs have fun here and don't get hit.

I think she'll be fine.  We've already made some progress.  She still makes me carry her everywhere and shakes like a leaf, but we'll be patient and see what happens. I think after the trauma of her spay on Tuesday, we'll be able to really work on the trust issues.

9/23/07 - Tallahassee is terrified and stays still like a rock. Makes me carry her EVERYWHERE.  I'm worried about this one.  I'm going to give her a week or so and see how she does. She may be past the point of help, but maybe she'll come around.  Send good vibes and tell her telepathically that Aunt Kathy is a nice person.  She has had no socialization and thinks I'm going to kill her every time I move :(  So very sad.

9/24/07 - She's doing a little better as each hour goes by so I'm hoping tomorrow’s spay doesn't set her back too much.   Dr. Norris is going to let me hold her while he gives her a pre-anesthetic shot as soon as I walk in the door with her, so that should help.

9/26/07 - How is Miss Tallahassee tonight?   She's good.  Up and around. Staying close to me but won't let me touch her. Progress I think.  Levi is out with the other doggies, otherwise, she sticks to him like glue.  I saw her wag her tail at him this morning.   He is such a Ladies Man!!

12/17/07 - Just when I was about to give up on Tallahassee, I think she's starting to come around.  My son moved home and she apparently likes boys better than girls.  She responds well to him and he tells me that she will actually go in and out the door when he tells her to.  She slept in his room last night.   He had a couple of friends over the other night and he said that all three were able to pet her.  She actually will stop running away when I tell her to stay and she moves toward me when I tell her to come.  Very odd indeed.

1/24/08 - Tallahassee had a bit of a breakthrough tonight.  For some reason, she likes it when you whistle.  My son has been whistling to her and she responds by moving toward instead of away from him.  I even got her to come to me by whistling. 

We were both able to sit with her and pet her tonight without her freaking out and looking for an escape route.  We even snapped a leash on her collar without her doing her "fighting marlin" impression.  She absolutely HATES for her feet to be touched, so we even did a little bit of that to let her know that it's okay.  She likes to have her face and under her chin scratched most of all.

And the best news of all - she took treats from our hands!  That is a HUGE deal for Miss Tallahassee.  You can tell that she still doesn't feel comfortable being touched all that much, but the fact that she ate from our hands gives me some hope.

My son has a friend that had a dog like Tallie and he said that it took a full year for her to act "normal".  Tallie has been with me for almost 5 months now.  She's just a baby, only about a year and a half old, but she has a very old soul.  Right now as I type, she has chosen to lay on the dog bed closest to my computer.  There are other beds spread throughout the house, but she picked the one next to me.

I have hope for this girl yet.  I don't know what the future holds for Tallie, but for now, I need to at least continue to work with her a little each day.  My son is planning on joining the Coast Guard and has about 2 months left before he leaves for basic training.  He's promised to work with her a little every day until he leaves.  She really prefers teenage boys to anyone else that she's met so far.

Attached are some more recent pictures of her that I took tonight.  She was totally un-fazed by the flash and by the camera getting close to her.  Not the best pictures, but they show her as she was tonight - a little more relaxed and without the wild look in her eyes that she had the first time I met her.

1/30/08 - What did my dogs do when the fence went down?

….My son ran to the back yard and found Levi and Tallahassee still in the yard.  Thank goodness that Tallie loves my son because he was able to get her to go inside and not dash off to the side yard like she does when I try to get her in.  She would have been long gone, never to be seen again because she does NOT like people.  No way would she ever allow anyone to catch her.

3/15/08 - Tallahassee did a…..PLAY BOW! Yep - she is getting braver all the time. She actually got so

excited at breakfast yesterday that she bounced around and play bowed at me several times. She comes when I call her most of the time and has started asking for small pats on the head. My daughter reports that she is actually standing up on the side of her bed like she wants to get up there with the other dogs.

I love watching her get braver and more trusting.

1/13/09 - Tallahassee says "Hey - where's my bling?"

At PF the other day, I cleaned them out of clearance sale collars.  I got some really cute ones for super cheap (like $3 each).  Anyway, Maple picked the pretty shiny pink collar with skulls.  That left several in the bag.  When the other dogs saw Maple getting her new collar, we were quickly surrounded by other dogs wanting in on the action. 

I picked the dangerous dog orange for Tres and Winston got a new cool ROGZ collar with some sort of military emblems.  I never mess with Tally much.  The pink collar that she had on has been on her for over a year.  She went and sat next to Faith facing her like she was asking "Hey - where's my new collar?".  Faith was able to unbuckle her collar while she sat still like a statue. 

I got the new collar ready with her tags and thought she would let me slip it over her head.  Nope.  She wasn't having that.  I chased her for a minute then gave up.  Faith said "Give it to me.  I'll put it on her." I'll be damned if Tally didn't climb back up on the couch and sat facing Faith again, waiting for her pretty new collar.  Faith put it on her like it was nothing.

She's perfectly happy and is now sound asleep on top of Winston.  She's a strange dog for sure.

4/28/09 - I have a digger here.  Tallahassee LOVES to dig rain or shine!

11/07/09  - Who does Tallahassee belong to?  Tallahassee belongs to Tallahassee.  She is like a spirit wind that comes in and out quietly without making any noise.  She doesn't let anyone touch her unless you have a cookie in your hand.  She's Levi's best friend.

Sometimes she'll come and sit on the dog bed next to my bed and let me pet her nose if I hang my hand down.  But mostly she just is.

Easter Confections in Paper from Paris

For you, a bouquet of antique Easter paper ephemera from Tolmer et cie, Paris.

Happy Easter,

Marjorie

5 Tips for Exercising at Home - Mamavation Monday

Week 1

When people learn that I've lost weight they always ask how I did it. My answer is always the same - diet and consistent exercise, plus a change in my mindset. The mindset change is probably the most important factor in weight loss but I will devote another blog post to that issue. Right now I want to focus on exercise. So many people think that in order to exercise consistently you have to belong to a gym. That is simply not true and I want to give you five tips to help you with exercise without utilizing a gym.

1. Pedometer - So many people say that they don't have time to exercise. I know you have time, you can make time but if you are adamant about NOT having time, strap on a pedometer. You can buy one fairly cheaply and wear it for a week. See how much walking you are doing on a daily basis. Even if you feel like you can't make time to exercise you can get up and move your body more. You can take the stairs at work, you can park further away from stores. Every little bit helps. After monitoring your average for a week, set goals for yourself and work up to 10,000 steps a day. You can do this - and yes, chasing your kids around the house counts!

2. Exercise TV- If you are anything like me you have tons of exercise DVDs in your home that were used a few times, maybe even for a couple of months and now probably have so much dust on them that if you blow it a sneezing fest will ensue. Well, I've found a cure for the DVD graveyard. Exercise TV! If you are a cable subscriber you have the Exercise TV channel or something similar on your television. It is best if you have it On Demand because every month new workouts are added. I don't think you can ever get bored! If you don't have it On Demand, record your favorite shows and workout at your leisure. There is no excuse not to workout if you have Exercise TV!

3. EA SPORTS Active - I am big fan of both Personal Trainer and More Workouts. These "games" are the closest thing to having a personal trainer in your home without the high cost associated with one. Personal trainer has the 30 day workout and More Workouts has a 6 week workout. I've done both and prefer More Workouts because it has warm-up, cool down and ab exercises. If you own a Wii, I highly recommend EA SPORTS Active. I lost my first 20 lbs using More Workouts exclusively and it really started me on my journey to fitness. (and by the way, I am not just saying this because I was featured in the commercial. My results speak for themselves and like any other fitness activity - if you are not consistent you won't see results).

4. Run/Walk - Aside from the cost of a new pair of sneakers, this is a free exercise. You can run/walk around your neighborhood. Although the days are warming up now, I am not a fan of walking in my neighborhood. It is really hilly and there is not enough variety in the terrain. Instead of walking in my area, I have started mall walking. I will take my son in a stroller and walk around the mall. The only caveat to mall walking is be sure to keep your money in your wallet! Even if I go to the mall to shop, I take an extra lap or two around the mall to get exercise in. I'd love it if I had a pair of earth foot wear Exerwalks or a similar type of shoe that firms up your legs and burns extra calories but for now I am stuck with wearing my shoes or a pair of regular sneakers.


5. Rest - I am sure you are thinking "rest? Isn't this supposed to be about being motivated to exercise?" and the answer is yes. I want you to exercise but I also want you to rest. Give your body time to recover from workout sessions don't overdo it. If you workout too much and injure yourself, it is going to be difficult to get back in the saddle again. Muscle soreness is to be expected but when you can't move without saying "ouch" you've done too much. I personally had to step back this week from exercise. I felt a little guilty about it but my feet were hurting - my left bunion was screaming and I wanted to push through it but why? This is a new week, I exercise consistently and it is important that I listen to the clues my body gives me. In this instance my body told me to rest. I hope that you listen to your body too. Rest is an important part of all exercise regimes.

These are my tips for exercise, do you have any that you'd like to add? Please let me know in the comments!

Reward Yourself!

This week I reached a milestone in my weight loss journey, I have officially lost 40 pounds! It is amazing to me that in a little over four months I've been able to make such an incredible transformation. I can now fit a size 8 women's and size 9 juniors, I know the last time I was able to do that was a decade ago! Although I haven't reached my overall goal yet I still think it is important to acknowledge and celebrate the work that I've done so far. I mentioned the importance of rewards in my top 5 weight loss tips last week and I followed my own advice. I took a step back from blogging and read 5 books this week. I've always been a voracious reader but I haven't been making the time to read so this week I treated myself.

In addition to purchasing and reading books, I also decided to pamper myself. In the past I've spoken about how important I think it is to maintain eyebrows. Having well groomed brows opens up your face and gives you a put together look, even if you are not a person that wears make-up. I really like having my eyebrows threaded and primarily have it done by East Indian women. My favorite spot is in New York but since I only visit occasionally, I've needed to find a brow place here in Atlanta. For the longest time I've wanted to try Saylah's Threading and Day Spa because I've heard great things about it. This week I decided to treat myself and have my brows threaded.

I was greeted by Shahmaz and she walked me back to a very earth toned room with a comfy chair. Looks welcoming right?

I reclined in the chair while Shahmaz worked her magic with a piece of thread that pulled my stray eyebrow hairs out one by one.

Well,here is a little secret that I must share with you - beauty hurts! I am used to having my brows threaded but have to be honest and tell you that there is some pain involved but the results are amazing. My brows look great and a few tears are a small price to pay for beauty. At this point I don't cry when my brows are threaded but a tear will leak from the corner of my eye when my lip is threaded. Yes, my lip, I have a little peach fuzz that I need to get rid of every few months. Some people bleach it, I just thread it!

I am so happy that I was able to visit Saylah and the best part about it was I received a 20% discount on my services saving me $5 dollars! And not only that but I have an on-going 20% discount because I used 6 of my Tropicana points to get this discount. I will be a regular visitor to Saylah spa. When I hit my next milestone - losing 50 pounds, I am using some of my Tropicana rewards points to visit Massage Envy for a 10% discount on a massage.

Remember - when you hit a milestone, reward yourself! You've worked hard and you deserve it!

Disclosure: I am a Tropicana Juicy Insider and received reward points and compensation for participating in the program.

Operation Weight Loss Week 17- The incredible shrinking woman

I'm going to get right to it. I am down another 1.4 pounds this week bringing my grand total to 40 pounds! I've lost 40 pounds since November 23, 2009 - the week of Thanksgiving! I've remained consistent with my diet and exercise and I am proud to say I am seeing results. If you watch my video you will see that I can now wear my size 9 junior goal pants that I shared with you a few months ago. I used to wear these pants to the club - it has been ten years since they have graced my backside comfortably!

I've reached one of my goals but I still have other goals to meet. I want to lose another 12 pounds to reach my goal weight of 150 pounds and I want to fit in those Joe Jeans that I got for my birthday. Give me another month and I think I'll do it!

Now that I've shared with you some of my goals and I want to let you in on a goal that my girls at the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans have going on this year. A group of them are running a half marathon with team in training to raise money for Leukemia and other blood cancers. Leukemia is close to home for me, my aunt and a cousin succumbed this disease. And two of my blogging buddies have children that are being treated and in remission for leukemia. As a matter of fact, years ago I was training for a triathalon with Team In Training but sadly I didn't do it. I may set that as a goal for next year but in the meantime I hope you can support the Sisterhood reach their goal of $50,000. For added incentive a party is going on and for every $5 you give you get entries to win a ton of cool stuff. For more info click HERE!

My 5 Top tips for weight loss

Over the last four months I've learned some valuable lessons regarding weight loss and healthy living. I want to share my top five tips with you!

1. Eat - this may sound like a no-brainer, it is very important. Food is not our enemy, far from it. Food is fuel that we need for our bodies to function. The important thing is to provide your body with the right types and amounts of food. Frequently when people are trying to lose weight they decrease the amount of food that they are eating but sometimes this can be the opposite of what we need to do. Personally, I was eating too little and I slowed my metabolism down. When I did eat, most of the food was high in fat and calories, a terrible mix. Now, I am eating much more food - I grace and eat about 5 meals a day and I have been losing weight consistently. Be sure to eat enough! Food is our friend, we just have to make the right choices.

2. Exercise For many busy women, finding the time to fit in exercise is extremely difficult. Many of us do not have one full hour to devote to exercise but you can still get exercise in. As a mom with a toddler at home I have to get the exercise in when I can. I utilize nap times and sometimes late evenings to exercise. I've found that by doing 20 minutes of exercise at a time I am able to move my body almost every day. If you don't have 20 minutes do three 10 minute sessions throughout the day. Your body will thank you for it!

3. Journal

Write down the food and/or exercise that you do on a daily basis. I know what you may be thinking "uh oh, here goes another fanatic trying to convince me to log food" but just listen. It took me awhile to get to the place where I could log all of my food but I've found it to be tremendously helpful. I use an online tool, Sparkpeople.com that helps me assess if I've met not only my caloric goals but my nutritional goals too. This is an invaluable resource for me because I am better equippe to make good food choices without need to actually "count" calories. With practice I've been able to determine the foods that I can eat.

Perhaps you aren't convinced and that is okay, you might want to just journal your exercise. That is where I started and it helped me keep track of my activity level. When you are ready to journal regarding food, perhaps rather than track what you are eating, you can write down how you feel before and after you eat. This awareness can help you determine if you are mindlessly eating, emotional or stress eating and in the long run I think you will learn a great deal from this exercise.

4. Celebrate - Be sure to celebrate your victories. Too often when we are on a journey to healthy living we wait until we reach our final goals to celebrate. I believe in setting up mini-goals along the way. Every pound loss is a victory in my book and when I go down a size I treat myself with a new pair of jeans. Other ideas are manicure, pedicure, massage, you are working hard and deserve to reward yourself!

5. Remember - We all have setbacks. Whatever your idea of the "perfect" way to lose weight entails, understand that at some point you will fall short of your ideal. Perhaps you won't meet your exercise goals for a day/week/month or maybe you will overindulge over a weekend or for a week. This happens to EVERYONE! The important thing to do, no matter what, is to get back up, dust yourself off and move forward. Don't let your hard work go to waste because of a slip-up. Move Forward!

That's it. My five tips for weight loss. I hope that they are as helpful for you as they are for me. And I'd love to hear your tips, be sure to leave a comment with your suggestions!

A = Adorable, L = Loveable, A = ...

well, I'm sure you can think of something. Alabama's my name and being adorable is my game. And all that other stuff that goes along with being a boxer. My foster mom tells me that I'm the best boxer girl ever. Um, yes. I have to agree.

And once I'm healthy and ready for a new home, I'll show you exactly what she means. Right now my job is to look cute and take naps. I'm very good at both.

I'll write more later. Right now, I think I hear the dinner bell ringing!

Toodles,

Alabama

Hellooooooo....

Macie here. What's your name? I'm 10. How old are you? Is that rude to ask?

My friends at LBR told me to let you know that I'm safe and that even though I'm 10, I'm still a spunky girl that likes to have fun!

I was pretty scared for a little while when my family took me to the shelter. 10 loyal years I gave them and that's what I get in return. Hmpfff.

I say it's their loss. I'm doing just fine now and can't WAIT to find a new family that will love me as much as I love them.

I hope I get to meet you soon!

Love and kisses,

Macie

Whew...that was CLOSE!

Boy oh boy! Was that a close call. I barely made it out in time. Talk about making a boy nervous. The shelter I was in got so full and they kept saying that if I couldn't get a ride out before Monday, I would be taking my last walk EVER!

Thank goodness that Legacy Boxer Rescue had a nice lady open up her home to foster me. She has two fun doggies that I get to play with. It's been non-stop wrestling since I got out. It feels SO good to finally get to stretch my legs.

Whew...that was too close for comfort. Nothing but good times ahead though.

I'm safe and warm now and actually enjoyed this ride to my foster home.

Thank you LBR for getting me out just in the nick of time.

Slurps and Wiggles,

Amos

Ah Spring!

And tulips, children love to stretch

Their fingers down, to feel in each

Its beauty's sweet nearer.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning ~ "A Flower in a Letter"

Savor the Season,

Marjorie

The Princess and the Frog - Giveaway

Giveaway Closed Congratulations to CocoaMommy!

On the weekend when Disney's Princess and the Frog was released, my son, my girlfriend and her son all went to the theater to see the film. This film was making history, the first African-American princess in a Disney animated film, we had to see it. Especially given all of the conversation about the matter ranging from - "why did it take so long?" to "why doesn't she have an African-American prince?" and "Why is the princess a frog for most of the film?" And let's not forget the controversy over the dialect of the firefly. I also had a serious personal interest in the film because when I attended the first African-American mom bloggers mixer at Walt Disney World, it became very clear that the executives wanted our perspectives about the upcoming film and worked diligently to "get it right."

When I went to see the film I had an open mind. I knew heavy hitters like Oprah Winfrey had worked on the advisory panel for the film and I truly trusted that this would not be a negative protrayal of African-American culture. I was not disappointed. I totally enjoyed the musical score and although I have never traveled to New Orleans, the music and the scenery left me with the feeling that I'd visited this historic city.

The voices of Anika Noni Rose, Oprah Winfrey, Keith David, Terrance Howard and John Goodman brought the film to life and I was highly entertained. My son loved the film too and continued to ask about the Princess long after it was over. The DVD has been released and we are now proud owners of the DVD combo pack that includes a Blu-Ray disc, regular DVD and one for travel. There is also a code that can be used to download the film right to your computer! I was given my copy but I've also been given one so that I can share the love with you! I hope that you enjoy the movie as much as my family and I do.

Giveaway!

To enter: simply leave a comment telling me who you will share The Princess and the Frog with.

Extra Entry: Tweet this contest, to make it easy you can use this text - "Enter to Win Princess and the Frog DVD on Cutie Booty Cakes Blog @reneejross http://bit.ly/a0Ek3i"

Please be sure to leave a comment for each entry!

Good Luck!

Contest is open until 3/27/2010 at 11:00p.m.