Weigh-In Wednesday: Better.

I have to get something off of my chest. I had exactly 1 cup of Pepsi on Monday. I even measured it out, and enjoyed each sip of it like it was Bourbon. I poured out the rest of the can though so I wouldn’t be tempted to drink it. I was having a tough Monday morning and I *craved* my favorite comfort drink. I couldn’t stay away. I know that counts against me, but today is 30 days without soda  except for 1 cup. That’s good right? Or did I blow the whole month? I am going to go with that this was an awesome achievement for me that I am very proud of. You can judge the 1 cup as a failure or the 30 days as a success. Your choice.

I have made it into the gym a few times this week and did a good 8-mile walk with @aclevergirl over the weekend. When I went to the gym last night I had some serious frustration to work off. I had been running intervals on the treadmill at a faster pace than I had ever done. I couldn’t run as long at the faster pace, but I felt like all I wanted to do was run faster and faster to rid the frustrating thoughts and feelings out of my body. When I hit a mile I started walking to regain my breath. This was the first time in all the times I have been on the treadmill that I wasn’t really there mentally. Meaning I hadn’t really looked at the time, the miles, nothing… my brain was so focused on my thoughts that the world slipped away and all I did was run. I don’t even remember lowering the speed when my heart rate went too high, although I know I did. What a crazy out of body run that was!

Click on the pic to see @aclevergirl’s website and learn about SMA and how you can become involved.

For years my friends have always asked me to go golfing. On our 8-mile training walk, we walk adjacent to a golf course. My friend @aclevergirl is an avid golfer and kind of got me into the mindset that maybe I needed to try my hand at this sport. I have great hand-eye coordination and swing the hell out of a bat… so golf should be easy, right? She found me some golf clubs that were pretty inexpensive on Craigslist. So now I have clubs (still in the box) and I am ready to try this out. I know a lot of work (and a lot of drinking) is done on the golf course – so bring it on!

So I am not as dejected as I was last week, but I am still not fully comfortable about my weight. I really need to lose at least 20 pounds to fit into my fall wardrobe. It is scary to think about how much weight I have gained since I started Weigh-In Wednesday. I know a good part of it is because I am no longer on the prescription water pill, thinking seriously about going back on it. It’s hard for me to imagine that I am more active than I was 6 months ago, eating much healthier, curbing my alcohol and soda intake and still gaining weight. The weight gain has really affected my psyche too – I can tell I’m more depressed and have canceled plans because I just don’t want people to see me and whisper behind my back about how I look.

Weight Loss

Lost 1.5 lbs  – Better.

What I Did Right This Week:

• No soda for 30 days!
• Ate fresh fruits & veggies – including 2 cups of spinach per day, apples, blueberries, green beans, and Brussels sprouts
• Eating lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, and fish
• Worked out at the gym 3x
• Went on an 8-mile training walk
• Did at-home yoga
• Drank a lot of water
• Made my green shake 3x
• Meditated each morning

What I Did Wrong This Week:

• Had a small movie popcorn
• Had 1 cup of Pepsi
• Didn’t walk more than one day
• Let my kitchen & living room get messy again

Goals For This Week:

• Strength training & running at the gym 3 days
• Do an 17-mile and 11-mile training walk this weekend
• Be in the moment when I eat and workout
• Workout 3x, walk 30 miles, yoga 2x
• Keep my house clean
• Meditate every morning

Goals For This Month: (this is new!)

• No Pepsi!
• Only drink wine on the weekends or for special reviews – been doing well with this one.
• Daily intake of sugar: 25g. I am looking at all the ingredients list and trying this, but I am not hard core.

My intention for last week was Not Care. Yeah this didn’t happened. Surprise, surprise. I hope one day to be able to master this, but this was not the week. I do find when I go technology free for the most part of the weekend, I come back on Mondays recharged. I need to make sure and schedule time to be outside in nature every week – this is my sanity, it makes me come back into balance, and to reset my mind on what really matters in life and not on the minutia.

My intention for this week is to write out my Goals. I need to write out my 4th quarter personal and business goals and create the path to achieve them. One of my personal goals is to lose 30 pounds before Christmas. I hope this happens, even though I am aware that it hasn’t happened yet. Another goal is to hike every week in a new location experiencing all that Arizona’s wildlife has to offer. Professionally, I want to increase my speaking engagements to at least twice a month. I am writing these goals down. I will accomplish them!

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#f8 The New Facebook Experience: Timeline, Ticker & Gestures

F8 is the annual conference that Facebook hosts each year for its team, entrepreneurs, developers, app creators, and all sort of cool geeks. Needless to say, I wish I was there! Here are some of the newest things that are coming to the Facebook experience including the new Timeline, Ticker, and Gesture buttons.

Facebook Timeline

Facebook users spend an insane amount of time creating content for their profiles. This comes across as making sure the photo you take is perfect as your next Facebook Profile Pic or the Note you share has your innermost Gratitude moments. This new Timeline allows users to express who they truly are and share their lives in any way they want. You spend years curating the stories of your life. Imagine expressing the story of your life and having those key moments highlighted and called out on your profile. The Timeline is the heart of your Facebook experience. This new way of scrapbooking your life happens through adding pictures from when you were born, to your high school graduation, to your wedding day, and the birth of your children or even your children’s children. It will be chronological in the Timeline and allows you to jump to a specific year or even just yesterday. You will be proud to call make your Timeline your home, even your identity. Here is a sample of what this new Timeline looks like: https://www.facebook.com/about/timeline

The Cover Photo is a nice big photo that shows a unique moment in your life or an image that completely moves you. You still have your profile pic, but now there will be a huge Cover Photo that you can change with a click of the button that expresses who you are. The Timeline is fully customizable as to what you share, who sees it, and how it is laid out.

There is also a Report feature on the Timeline. Imagine if you are using one of the cooking apps that shows everything you have cooked in the last month. Instead of having to go to each post to remember what you made, you can go to the Report and see all the recipes you’ve tried and rate your favorites. Seeing a summary of everything you have done can be more powerful and express your true authentic self on your timeline. Think about what you want on your Timeline, and build it. It’s really quite easy.

Sign up to be one of the first users to have this new Timeline: http://www.facebook.com/about/timeline

Gesture Buttons

When Facebook launched the Like button it exploded across the web. In took less than a month for the Like button to appear on over 100,000 websites! One of the reasons Facebook went away with the term Fan on a Fan Page was that younger people didn’t want to say they endorsed a certain product. Well, it seems they feel the same way about the Like button. Personally, I would preferred the term Fan over Like for business pages. Facebook is now rolling out Gesture Buttons that people can click that shows they have “Listened” to a song or “Watched” a video, or “Read” a book, even “Ate” at a specific restaurant rather than simply Liking it.

At Facebook’s #f8 conference, the company has given developers the power to create their own actions too! These Gesture actions are the next step in integrating Facebook with every part of the web. What would you say on a button if you had the opportunity to create one? I might make one that said Smile or Wine Time, but that’s just me!

Ticker Time

A lot of people don’t like the new Ticker on the right hand side of the screen. I’ve had it for a few weeks and have grown to really like it. To me, it is very similar to Twitter and is a very easy concept for me to grasp and love. Now, instead of having my feed filled when someone becomes Friends  with someone else or when they Like a page, all of this lightweight stream stuff is moved over to the Ticker. That’s right, you will no longer see this kind of minutia in your News Feed. Only posts, pictures, or links will be shared on the News Feed. Thank goodness!! So all of you you disabled the Ticker Stream yesterday, might want to rethink that, and here is the main reason why.

When listening to music on Spotify it shows up on your Ticker stream. You can hover over it and click it, then you will be streaming and listening to the same music as your friend – even if it’s halfway through the song. Hulu has an app where you can watch the same shows as your friends too. This is some really powerful new applications and makes the Ticker Stream a vital part of your Facebook Experience.

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Weigh-in Wednesday: Dejected

I have gone almost 3 weeks without any Pepsi and have gained another 2 pounds! I’m just dejected. I’ve been hiking, walking, strength training, and eating fresh fruit and vegetables and I have freaking gained weight? Seriously? Maybe I am destined to be overweight my whole life. Some of my guy friends post their weight on Facebook and sometimes I sit in shock, thinking, oh hells no – I weigh the same as this man? All I want to do is cry. It makes me extremely dejected and deflated. I’m at my wits end. I just don’t care anymore. What is the point? I cut out my bff Pepsi and I gained 3 pounds over the last 3 weeks! I have stopped drinking so much wine and have limited going out to restaurants (Restaurant Week is an exception). I have even stopped drinking beer on Monday Night Football so I can keep with trying not to drink during the week – now that’s just blasphemy!

I watched The Biggest Loser last night and was moved again by these people’s stories and how much they can lose in one week. Is that what I have to do – workout for 4 hours a day to lose a pound? When I walk it is for minimally 3 hours and over a 1,000 calorie burn. I go hiking for 2 hours and burn almost 700 calories. Each time at the gym is about 400 calories, yoga is around 300. So if I am expending all these calories, drinking tons of water,  and eating turkey, fresh veggies and seasonal fruit – what the hell am I doing wrong?

Trying my hand at dating again and I just can’t muster up the energy. Again, what’s the point? So I can go on a date with a guy and for him to take one look at me and immediately dismiss me because of my weight? No thanks. Would rather be single. I have a lot to offer and would love to find a partner to share my life with, but I also don’t want to be rejected before even given the chance.

I’m at a loss. Dejected. Done.

Weight Gain

Gained 2 lbs – Just shoot me now.

What I Did Right This Week:

• No soda for 21 days!
• Ate a lot of fresh fruits & veggies
• Worked out at the gym 2x
• Went on an 8-mile training walk
• Went on a 2-mile hike
• Drank a lot of water
• Donated blood!
• Meditated each morning

What I Did Wrong This Week:

• Had a small movie popcorn
• Let some of my veggies go bad in the fridge – I buy way too much.
• Lost hope.
• Having some crazy awful nightmares lately.

Goals For This Week:

• Strength training & running at the gym 3 days
• Do an 8-mile and 11-mile training walk this weekend
• Be in the moment when I eat and workout
• Workout 3x, walk 19 miles, yoga 2x
• My house became messy again on Monday and yes, my mind is a tad jumbled up.  Juggling a lot right now.
• Meditate every morning

Goals For This Month: (this is new!)

• No Pepsi!
• Only drink wine on the weekends or for special reviews – been doing well with this one.
• Daily intake of sugar: 25g. I am looking at all the ingredients list and trying this, but I am not hard core.

My intention for last week was to Finish. I was able to get through the majority of all of those emails last week, still a few that need to be followed up on. I can never let my inbox get that out of control again! I spent one morning just unsubscribing from people’s emails that no longer pertained to me. Purging felt good. Sometimes you just need to hit the Reset button.

My intention for this week is to Not Care. That’s right – I said it. I need some time and space to not care. I worry about everything and everyone all the time. My brain needs some time to just relax, breathe, and not care. Be free. Find my happy place. Call it home.

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AZ Restaurant Week–Yummy Time!

I love Arizona Restaurant Week for the one simple reason – I make it my mission to go to at least two restaurants I have never been to before. There are a couple of my faves that are on this list that might also make it into the rotation.  So here are my top 5 choices for where to dine this week. Wanna join me?

Beckett’s Table

I have been enjoying Chef Justin Beckett’s comfort food since he opened last year. I have been about a dozen times and really adore how friendly the staff is mixed with a great atmosphere, and some of my favorite food in the Valley. Beckett’s Table has both Vegetarian and Gluten-Free options as well. Their dinner even comes with a glass of wine or a draught beer – now that is awesome!

This is what I would order:

Chicken meatballs & smoky tomato sauce roasted red onions, eggplant & peppers, bread crumbs, basil

Fire roasted green chili pork stew, corn bread, cotija cheese

chocolate dipped bacon s’mores caramel, house-made marshmallows, whipped peanut butter, graham cracker

Twitter: @BeckettsTable
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BeckettsTable

Bonfire Grill & Bar

I have yet to go here and can’t wait to try it out. They serve American Campfire Cuisine – this I have to see. The menu was created by Matt Carter,owner of Zinc Bistro and The Mission – two great restaurants in the Valley. I’m also intrigued because they prepare all of the entrees on an open pecan grill. Yummy! They also have Vegetarian and Gluten-Free options plus you get a beverage too!

This is what I would order:

Grilled sweet corn with charred scallions,smoked paprika aioli, white cheddar

Short ribs & root vegetables: beer braised onions, mashed potatoes, honey carrots and black pepper bourbon sauce

Cast-iron toasted marshmallow with shaved chocolate, graham cracker cookie, ice cream

Twitter: @thebonfireaz
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BonfireGrillandBar

Calistro California Bistro

I went here for lunch recently and was quite impressed with the quality of the food. I had put it on my list to try them for dinner, and Arizona Restaurant Week is the perfect chance. Love seeing that they also have Vegetarian and Gluten-Free options!

This is what I would order:

Gazpacho: Made from AZ grown vegetables with a jicama salad

Pork Roast: Harissa spiced, sweet potato mash, chimichurri, red wine

Coconut Rice Pudding with strawberry compote, local pistachio

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CalistroCaliforniaBistro

Prado

I am probably the only foodie in the Valley who hasn’t been to Prado yet. I know – shameful! I need to rectify that asap. Prado is nestled inside the beautiful Montelucia Resort – what more could you want – beautiful surroundings and amazing cuisine. Definitely need someone to go with me because I really want to taste everything on their menu!

This is what I would order:

Savory Puff Pastry Tart – pears, bacon, cheddar, petite greens, cider dressing

Wood Grilled & Brined Pork Chop – celery root puree, cabbage, caraway, braised apples

Gingerbread Baby Cake – espresso mascarpone, pink peppercorn, crème anglaise

Twitter: @prado_mbar

Province

Province is new to Phoenix and it has been on my list to try. It is an American restaurant with cuisine inspired by South America and Spain – what a great combination! One thing I really like about Province is that they are a farm-to-table restaurant and the wine list features organic, biodynamic and sustainable wines from around the world as well as a selection of local Arizona wines! Now that’s what I call awesome! For an additional $10 there are wine pairings with each course – sign me up!

This is what I would order:

Melted Goat Cheese Fondue with oven dried tomatoes, smoked onions, and herbed crisps

Marinated & Grilled Skirt Steak with artichoke-leek gratin, chimichurri

Chef’s Tasting of Squash Cupcake, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Flan, and Seasonal Fruit Tart << OMG!! Wowsers!

Twitter: @provincephx

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ProvincePhoenix

Great. Now I’m hungry! Can’t wait to try these restaurants this week – what is on your list?

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Weigh-in Wednesday: 14 Days No Soda

I have gone 14 days without any soda!! I seriously wanted a shot of it yesterday, but I refrained. All day long I was craving Pepsi – it was not an easy day. I also had decided not to drink alcohol during the week, only on weekends. I had been doing very well with that but ended up having a small glass yesterday to ward off the Pepsi.  I had made a concentrated effort to increase my water consumption too. I exchanged the soda for tea – lots of tea. I need to get one of those tea kettles where I can make loose leaf teas. I’m having fun with all the different flavors though!

My house stayed very clean for over a week. Right now a good 20 minutes of light cleaning and it will be back to where it should be. I am not letting that 5 days of cleaning house go to waste! My mind performs so much better when my environment is cleared. It is true, a cluttered room = a cluttered mind. What’s kind of funny,  is when I could feel myself become emotional over life, then that’s when I didn’t do the dishes, or didn’t put things away right after I used them. Crazy how all of it is completely connected.

The other kind of weird thing lately is that I have been having wickedly awful dreams the last couple weeks. I haven’t wanted to go to sleep and have woken myself up when my dreams have become too intense. Even woken up crying a couple times. It is been so intense that the dreams feel like they have actually happened.

I started this week with blogging everyday, did you catch them so far? I wrote about the Fleming’s 100 and Twitter 101 for Businesses. Tomorrow tune in to see what you should be sowing for your fall vegetable garden. I will wrap this week up on my fave picks for Arizona Restaurant Week.

Manic Mondays:                        Brand or Venue Reviews or anything what ever tickles my fancy
Tech Tuesdays:                          Tips on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Android
Weigh-In Wednesdays:          I talk candidly about my weight loss journey (you knew that already)
Green Thumb Thursdays:      Gardening and floral advice, specializing in vegetables & herbs
Foodie Friday:                            Food and wine reviews along with local events

Weight Loss

Lost  0 lb – bleh.

What I Did Right This Week:

• No soda for 14 days!
• Ate a lot of fresh fruits & veggies
• Did Yoga 2 days
• Worked out at the gym 2x
• Meditated each morning
• Set a purpose for each day and worked it 1 step at a time

What I Did Wrong This Week:

• Had movie popcorn
• Didn’t work out or do as much yoga as I wanted to
• Didn’t walk at all – UGH! Again. I can’t figure out what my block is.
• Definitely did not get enough sleep. Doesn’t help that I don’t want to go to sleep anymore.

Goals For This Week:

• Yoga 3 days
• Strength training & running at the gym 3 days
• Do an 8-mile and 11-mile training walk this weekend – I will do this!! I hope.
• Be in the moment when I eat and workout
• Workout 3x, walk 25 miles, yoga 3x
• Keep my house clean. I’ve noticed when my mind is clear, my surroundings are too. If my mind is jumbled up, my place is a mess. Keeping this on here for another week.
• Meditate every morning

Goals For This Month: (this is new!)

• No Pepsi! I need something to reward myself if I can do this. Suggestions? Make ‘em good!!
• Only drink wine on the weekends or for special reviews
• Daily intake of sugar: 25g. I am looking at all the ingredients list and trying this, but I am not hard core about it.

My intention for last week was to Breathe. I had said I wanted to get back into nature last week and I wasn’t able to do that. I need to rectify this. I am hoping to go up to the mountains this weekend and will do a hike to one of my favorite places in Arizona on top of Mount Lemmon. I must do this. I need to do this.

My intention for this week is to Finish. I still have over 600 emails and quite a few voicemails that need to be returned. Ugh. I feel so overwhelmed with it. I have to knock this out or it will suffocate me. I have to finish this task and get back to having everything organized. I can do it!!. Again, I hope!

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Twitter 101 for Business

If you are new to Twitter or just need a refresher course, here are some basic tips needed when bringing your business or brand to Twitter.

You have an account, now what?

• Build an account using the Twitter Search to listen for your name, your competitor’s names, and words that relate to your brand or company. Listening always comes first.
• Add a picture. We want to see you. Twitter accounts that have real people’s pictures as their avatars get more engagement than those that have a company logo.
• Talk to people about their interests, too. I know this doesn’t sell more widgets, but it shows you’re human.
• Point out interesting things in your stream, don’t just focus on you or your business.
• Share links to cool things in your community. @WholeFoods does this particularly well.
• Be helpful and don’t make excuses for poor customer service. @JetBlue gives travel tips.
• Be wary of always pimping your stuff. Your fans may love it. Others tune out quickly.
• Promote yours or employees’ outside-of-work stories. @TheHomeDepot does this well.
• Talk about non-business topics.
• Then talk about your business.

What to Tweet?

• Instead of asking the question, “What are you doing?” ask the question, “What has your attention right now?”
• When promoting a blog post, ask a question or explain what the blog post is about, instead of just dumping a link and hoping people click it.
• Ask questions. Twitter is great for getting opinions.
• Follow interesting people. If you find someone who tweets interesting things, see who she follows, and follow her.
• Tweet about other people’s stuff. Again, doesn’t directly impact your business, but makes the Twitter community feel like you’re not That Guy.
• When you do talk about your stuff, make it useful. Give advice, blog posts, post pictures, be interesting, not monotonous.
• Share the human side of your company. If you’re bothering to tweet, it means you believe social media has value for human connections. Point us to pictures and other human things such as pics of your pooch, family, or my favorite, wine.
• Don’t toot your own horn too much. Or try and balance it out by promoting the heck out of others, too.
• If you are tweeting from a business or brand’s account or perspective, limit the amount of cussing you do unless this is part of your image.
• But most importantly if you are tweeting for a brand or on a business account: Be social, not personal.

Key Concept: Be Social, Not Personal.

Here is my definition in a nutshell… and yes, this was an actual Tweet:

Social: I’m going out tonight.

Personal: I’m going out on a hot date and hope to get some.

Follow me on Twitter to see how I tweet: @dragonflytweet

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Fleming’s 100 Wines

We are 2 weeks into the amazing 5-weeks of wine tasting that Fleming’s Steakhouse & Wine Bar hosts every September. The Fleming’s 100 is their elusive wine list that is debuted every year. Each Friday in September taste 20 wines for $25! Now that’s what I call a tasting! Every Fleming’s in the country has the same 80 national selections, which are their heavy hitters and a standout in each wine category. The remaining 20 wines are personally chosen by each restaurant’s Wine Manager for their guests to enjoy. Together, these two groups make up the complete Fleming’s 100.

Last year I had the opportunity to go to to the wine tastings at the DC Ranch location in Scottsdale, AZ. Read about last year’s experience where I fell in love with Fleming’s. I’m not usually a fan of corporate establishments, but Fleming’s has won me over with their outstanding customer service and incredible generosity for their community, not to mention the amazing food paired perfectly with some of the best wines I have ever eaten. I am happy to say that I love Fleming’s – the people that make each visit memorable, and the food that makes me crave my leftovers the next day.

So far this September, I have gone to two different locations and will visit all 4 valley locations before the Fleming’s 100 Wine Event is over and tweeting with the hashtag #Flem100. I started out at the Peoria location, which I had never been to. I met Operating Partner Scot Densford who was so gracious to this little wine blogger. The next Friday night I ventured over to the Scottsdale location where Operating Partner Darrin Visser sure knows how to make a girl feel welcome. He introduced me to Barry Marshall of Marshall Family Wines that just so happened to be there. That was so awesome!

Here are some of my fave wines from the last two weeks.

Started off in Heaven with a little bubbly from DOMAINE CHANDON, étoile Brut Napa-Sonoma Counties NV. This sparkling wine sure has a way with tickling my taste buds with flavors of honey, apple, and a creamy caramel finish. A great bottle to have on hand for a special celebration or to just celebrate the art of life. Twitter: @chandon

Surprise Surprise that I also loved the MIONETTO, Extra Dry Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Italy NV – I am seriously in love with sparkling wines. Bubbles make me oh so happy! I just recently started drinking Proseccos over the last two years and my palate has welcomed the dryness and crispness of these sparklings. Before I had enjoyed mostly sweet sparklings, but now I am happy to say that Prosecco is on my list of favorite bubblies.

I absolutely adored the CONUNDRUM, California, 2010 with its soft creamy finish and with the powerful scent of vanilla and honeysuckle. This wine is very complex and left me wanting more. This is a wine that I should have in my personal wine cabinet to enjoy when I need to smile. It is that yummy! Twitter: @ConundrumWinery

I tend to lean towards a nice buttery Chardonnay and the SILVERADO, Chardonnay Napa Valley, 2008/2009 does not disappoint. This wine has aromas of vanilla and citrus, with great undertones thanks to the oak barreling. This would be a wine I would share with friends to show them my love of whites – it is well balanced and a very easy wine to enjoy after a long day at work.

There was one bottle that just had a simple tag that just said Saldo on it. Nothing else. I was definitely intrigued. When I swirled my ORIN SWIFT, Zinfandel California Saldo, 2009/2010 I was entranced by this wine. I learned that the wine is blended from grapes all over Northern California and uses the best of the best grape lots. It definitely shows!

Another label that made me wonder what was in the bottle was PARDUCCI, Petite Sirah Mendocino True Grit, 2007/2008.  I found this Petite Sirah to have a dry fruity finish, a little peppery, and very heardy – the type you pour with a big juicy steak. I can already see drinking this on a cold winter’s night (yes here in Phoenix!) and enjoying the bold robust flavors that this wine brings forth.

The LADERA, Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, 2007/2008 blew me away with its bold dark fruit flavors of plum and bramble berry with a soft and lush finish. This vineyard married grapes from two mountain estate vineyards and I have to say, it was a match made in Heaven. I love Ladera. Period. The end. It’s awesome! Twitter: @LaderaVineyard

One wine I was ecstatic to see was Arizona Stronghold’s Tazi at the Scottsdale location. Tazi is a great white and am so excited to see Arizona wines be on the wine list of a such a great restaurant. Twitter: @azstronghold

Pic compliments of @myvinespot

I would be remiss if I didn’t share the info about Winesdays this September at Fleming’s: 25% off any bottle from the Fleming’s 100. This is the month to explore the new Fleming’s 100 wine list and find a new favorite. Enjoy 25% off any bottle from the new Fleming’s 100 when you dine on Wednesday evenings in September. Now that is a great deal! Love it.

I can’t wait to taste the other 60 wines on the Fleming’s 100. You should join me!!

Disclosure: I was provided with a free entrance to all of the Fleming’s 100 wine tastings. Any consequent obsession with wine or how much I adore Fleming’s Steakhouse had no bearing on this review of their wines. All opinions are my own as is the gratitude I have for a company that gives so freely to others and supports their community with abundance.

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Comedian Morris and Chester

Some of you might know that I am not a fan of puppets, clowns, or dolls. Thank you Mr. Rogers crazy looking puppets for that. I was not a fan of the Muppets and decapitated every doll that was ever given to me. Don’t even get me started on Barbie. Just something about the creepy fakeness of their lifelike features that made me not want to be around them.

My friend Morris Katzoff started doing comedy about a year ago and I went to see him at a few of his shows to support his new endeavor. You see, when I first created Orange Dragonfly Media, Morris was my  very first client. He believed in me and supported my new business, which I truly appreciated. The least I could do was go and watch his comedy act. I learned so much about him from these acts! Who knew that he had been with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus for years as a clown! He was in charge of the elephants and some of his jokes showed what life was like in the Circus world. I had no idea! I saw at least half a dozen of his shows and watched as his comedy blossomed as he tried out new material, became more comfortable on stage, and then he did the unthinkable… he got a puppet.

A puppet! I adore you Morris, but now you’ve crossed the line. I stopped going to his shows. We are both in a couple networking groups and our friends would talk about how great Chester was and that the puppet brought out another side of Morris and his comedy. I wasn’t buying it. Then the unthinkable happened – people started figuring out that I was terrified of puppets. They posted that dang Mr. Rogers puppet on my Facebook Wall, they teased me about it every week, until finally I decided to put on my big girl panties and go see his show and meet Chester.

When Morris and Chester came on stage I was transformed into his world and saw Chester come to life. I never really understood the lure behind ventriloquism before, but I was amazed by how real Chester seemed to be and how Morris had really found his trusty sidekick. He made me laugh, a real belly laugh too. My friends were surprised (of course I brought moral support!) by how much I was enjoying the show, but also by how much they did too. In my age group, we haven’t seen many ventriloquists perform and were surprised by how much we enjoyed the comedy act.

Here is one of my favorite jokes between Morris and Chester:

Chester:   What did you do before you started playing with dolls?
Morris:     I was in the circus. I traveled all over the world and when in Europe we used to set up these big tents that used thousands of yards of canvas. Those were the good ‘ol days you should’ve seen it.
Chester:   Maybe I did, were they black?
Morris:     Oh stop that
Chester:   Excuse me I have to go pee
Morris:     Right now in the middle of our act?
Chester:   Never mind, I’m done
Morris:     What did you do go in your pants?
Chester:   Depends
Chester:   So where was I, Oh yah what did you used to do?
Morris:     I told you I used to be in the circus. I was a circus clown. I wore bright colorful makeup, over sized costumes. You should have seen it Chester.
Chester:   Maybe I did, was it black?

I love the expressions on Chester and when he laughs, Morris has this big genuine smile on his face that is utterly contagious. I was so happy that I enjoyed the show, because to be honest, I was quite afraid that I wouldn’t. I’m looking forward to going again and seeing a longer set with more of the banter between these two. With the help of Chester looking like my grandpa, I have been able to overcome some of my fear of puppets. Not all of it mind you – but enough that I don’t freak out when the topic comes up. Thank you Chester and Morris!!

BTW, you should be following Comedian Morris in social media, check him out here:

Twitter: @ComedianMorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/ComedianMorrisKatzoff

Email: kolonel22@q.com

Phone: 623.344.0315

Disclosure: I was provided with a free ticket to the show and sponsorship to BlogHer in exchange for this review. Any consequent obsession with seeing his comedy shows or how much I adore Morris from BottomDollarShopping.com had no bearing on this glowing review. Neither did my extreme elation at getting over my fear of puppets. All opinions are my own as are the gratitude I have for a man who gives so freely to others and supports his community with abundance.

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Weigh-In Wednesday: Cleaning House

Not sure what was in the air this last week, but I have been a woman on a mission. I have been cleaning up every aspect of my life. I started this by really committing to some big things for me diet wise: No soda for one whole month! That in itself is huge for me. Pepsi is my baby blanket – I always pour a can when I need a little moral support. Then I did the unthinkable. I decided to not drink at all during the week. Now I am not one of those that sits at home and drinks alone. I tend to have 3-5 nights out during the week either networking or out with friends and tend to have a glass of yummy wine. For now, I can have a glass of wine on Fridays and Saturdays only. These two things combined are huge for me to do. Cross your fingers!

I am paper messy, organization or filing of things does not come naturally to me. Now my computer files are organized perfectly, but paper?? Ugh. Just one word Ugh. I spent the entire holiday weekend organizing and cleaning house. Literally. I organized my office, filed and shredded, and generally hit the reset button. I then organized my pantry, cleaned out the fridge, and tackled the grocery store. With my coupons I saved 78% this week and only spent $23! I picked up a ton of veggies at Costco and the cashier said he has never seen a healthier basket of food.

Lastly, I tackled my books – 30 hours and tons of recoding later – my QuickBooks are finally completely up to date. So literally for the last 5 days I have had my head buried in the sand and have cleaned house! Still another full day to tackle the 600 unread emails in my inbox… but that’s for tomorrow!

I want my home and work environment to be solid so I can start blogging 5 days a week!! You read that right, this is what I have up my sleeve… what do you think?

Manic Mondays:                        Brand or Venue Reviews or anything what ever tickles my fancy
Tech Tuesdays:                          Tips on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Android
Weigh-In Wednesdays:           I talk candidly about my weight loss journey (you knew that already)
Green Thumb Thursdays:      Gardening and floral advice, specializing in vegetables & herbs
Foodie Friday:                            Food and wine reviews along with local events

I can’t wait to start this Lifestyle Blog after much discussion with fellow bloggers and brands at BlogHer. I’m ready for this jump! Now I know some days I won’t be able to blog, but I will do my very best!!

Weight Loss

Lost  1 lb

What I Did Right This Week:

• No soda for 8 days!
• Limited wine to two days
• Ate a lot of fresh fruits & veggies
• Did Yoga 1 day
• Worked out at the gym 2x
• Eating 3-5x a day
• Meditated each morning
• Set a purpose for each day and worked it 1 step at a time

What I Did Wrong This Week:

• Didn’t work out or do as much yoga as I wanted to
• Didn’t walk at all – UGH!
• Not drinking as much water as I should
• Definitely did not get enough sleep. I’m going to start reading at 9pm and lights out at 10pm to see if this helps.

Goals For This Week:

• Yoga 3 days
• Strength training & running at the gym 3 days
• Do an 8-mile and 11-mile training walk this weekend – I will do this!!
• Write out a Menu for next week
• Be in the moment when I eat and workout
• Workout 3x, walk 25 miles, yoga 3x
• Keep my house clean. I’ve noticed when my mind is clear, my surroundings are too. If my mind is jumbled up, my place is a mess.
• Meditate every morning

Goals For This Month: (this is new!)

• No Pepsi! I need something to reward myself if I can do this. Suggestions? Make ‘em good!!
• Only drink wine on the weekends or for special reviews
• Daily intake of sugar – 25g. I am looking at all the ingredients list and trying this, but I am not hard core about it.

My intention for last week was to get Organized!! I actually forgot I had this written down on here until just now. It must be true – write it down and it will manifest itself. I did so much organizing this week that I feel very good at where I stand. I have at least another good 3 days of organizing other things. Seriously hoping by Friday to have my life and business on a more organized track. Never knew how much better mentally I would feel to clean house.

My intention for this week is to Breathe. I can feel it deep in my soul that I have to get out into nature this week. I start to feel restless, and the only thing that soothes it is a hike where I can see the birds soaring, lizards sun bathing, and smell the plants come alive after the rain. I am so thankful that the weather is breaking and I can enjoy a good hike into the wilderness to clear my mind, but more importantly, to refresh my soul.

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