Suggestions Needed

Next week it is our turn to bring snack to preschool. Right now the kids are learning about colors, so the kids need to wear something of that color and the snack should be that color as well.

Our color is red. So Lilypad Princess and I need to bring a snack that is easy for the kids to eat, doesn't need any immediate preparation (I can do things at home, but it needs to be ready to serve there) and is red. Luckily there aren't any food allergies in the group.

I like to try to bring something healthy, preferable a fruit and a protein since most of the kids have swimming after preschool then go home and crash for a nap. The last time we brought snack (without any color restrictions) I brought cheese sticks, whole wheat crackers, and raisins. Other than apples and strawberries (are they even in season?), I'm really stuck with red for some reason. So please, let me know all your suggestions!

Lilypad Likes - Olive Kids

Growing up I could never find my name on personalized license plates, pencils, bracelets, or barrettes. Or if they did have my name, it was never spelled the right way. And while the name we gave Lilypad Princess is rapidly growing in popularity, it still isn't easy to find things personalized for her.

If a little prince or princess in your life has a difficult name to find, Olive Kids is here to help. Olive Kids not only carries an adorable line of bedding, rugs and room accessories, but they have their own line of products that you can have personalized with any name you want.

We just received a set of 5 personalized placemats, and 2 nametags for LP's backpack and suitcase. The placemats are adorable, we got the girl set shown above. They are large, colorful, and very easy to wipe clean. LP has been telling me all about the mermaids since we opened the package. We also got the personalized name tags with the mermaids.

I really love their personalized floor pillows. They are 20" x 26" x 2" and the covers are removable and washable.

They also have adorable kids bedding and matching drawer pulls.

Weekly Weight Loss Update

It was a disappointing week weight-wise, I didn't lose any weight, but I didn't gain either. I did lose .3% body fat and 8 inches though, so it wasn't a completely disappointing week.

I did well with my eating, although I didn't count points exactly I stayed on track. I also did well with the gym, I made it 5 days this week.

Monday: off
Tuesday: 45 min. Water Aerobics
Wednesday: 45 min. Water Aerobics
Thursday: 45 min. Strength Circuit class & 30 minutes on elliptical trainer
Friday: 45 Cardio Circuit class and 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer
Saturday: off
Sunday: 30 min. elliptical trainer 30 minutes on circuit machines, hand weights, & abs

Little Gym Award Day

Today was the final class for this sessions Little Gym. This was the third session of Little Gym for Lilypad Princess and her friends. LP, Munchkinetta, and Buby had a great time swinging from the bars, crossing the beam, shaking the parachute, and especially chasing each other and jumping.

Lilypad Princess was not as thrilled about the medal ceremony this time, even though she ran right up the stairs to get it, she refused to smile for the camera. But for the first time we were able to get all the kids together for a group photo.

1 Year Later

Lilypad Princess first started taking classes at the Little Gym in September 2006. Her first medal day was January 23, 2007, almost exactly 1 year ago. She has developed so much more confidence and coordination in that year, but still loves to do the same things during class. We have added some new favorites through, last year at this time the air track just brought tears, now it's a favorite she doesn't want to get off.

I can't believe how much she has grown and changed in this one year.

Although I think the medal ceremony has lost some of it's glamour, she's not nearly as excited about it now as she was the first time.

Four Eyes

Lately I've been trying to get caught up on my health. Making appointments I haven't been good about making over the last two year, doctor, dentist, etc. I've realized that I need to find a new optometrist and get my eyes checked because it's been much too long. I need some new reading glasses, I have no idea what I did with my old pair after the move.

I just found out about this site which is really interesting.
Zenni Optical: Sell Rx Glasses $8 with case!
They sell only frames that they manufacture directly to their customer so they are able to keep their prices down. They also do little advertising, passing on the savings to you instead. Complete, single-vision glasses start at just $8.00 and bi-focals start at just $25.

After I have my appointment and get my new prescription, I think I will have to take a closer look at all their frames.


This post sponsored by payperpost.com

Lilypad Likes Part 2

I don't know if I ever mentioned it, but I found out at Christmas that Lilypad Dad does read The Lily Pad. He surprised me with the kit for the Round Up My Love fingerprint necklace that I posted about under Lilypad Likes back in December.

Tonight Lilypad Princess, Lilypad Dad and I took out the kit, rolled out the clay, and made the fingerprint mold. Tomorrow we will pack it all back up and mail it off. I cannot wait to see the finished product.

A Word Window

Lilypad Princess loves books. She reads to herself, reads to us, and of course we read to her. She tends to get hooked on the same book for weeks on end, which can lead to a little book boredom for me. But last summer LP's great-Auntie Diane gave her an entire set of books, and we've been working our way through the 15 or 20 book set lately.

The books are all part of the Magic Castle Readers set by Scholastic Books. We have been reading Away Went the Farmer's Hat and The Bears Upstairs almost every night for the past month, but tonight we traded for What Do You Do With a Grumpy Kangaroo? and Smile, says Little Crocodile.

I think these might be out of print of now, the copyright is 1988, but I recommend picking some up if you ever see them at a used book store or tag sale. Each book has a lesson as well, kangaroo teaches about feelings, crocodile teaches about health, the bears teaches about playing pretend, and the farmer's hat is about adventure.

Candy Cane Lane

Oh no! I just had to open another box of my new obsession, Candy Cane Lane tea by Celestial Seasonings. That means I only have one unopened box left, and it isn't in my store anymore. I'm not going to be able to make it until next Christmas, I thought I had more time to stick up, January isn't even over yet!

I discovered Candy Cane Lane for the first time this past Christmas. It is a decaffinated green tea with an irresistible blend of peppermint, creamy vanilla and just a touch of cinnamon and sweet blackberry leaves. It is excellent hot or cold (unfortunately how I end up drinking most of my tea by the time I get to it). It has taken care of any dessert cravings, even my cravings for peppermint ice cream.

If anyone happens to see this while you're out shopping, please let me know so I can stock up for the rest of the year, otherwise all my hard work at the gym will be wasted when I run out and have nothing to subsitute for sweet cravings but peppermint ice cream each night.

New Shoes

Based on a tip from Buby's Mom, Lilypad Princess and I took a ride to the a local children's shoe store. I wasn't sure what size she was wearing anymore, so I wanted to get her size checked, plus they are having a liquidation sale so I wanted to take a look.

It was a good thing we went, she was wearing size 7 shoes, but she is definitely a size 8, inching towards 8.5 very quickly. In European sizing that is a 24, but there are no half sizes, so the woman recommended going with the 25 to get a little more wear out of them.

LP was not in a shoe mood today, which is very unusal. She did not want to take off her pink sneakers, did not want to try anything else on, but did cooperate after she realized we could go to lunch with Munchkinetta and her mom once we were done (they were there buying new shoes as well).

We ended up with the navy blue, t-strap mary jane Naturinos shown above. Naturinos mimic walking on sand and guarantee just the right stability to let the child move freely. They also provide ideal support to the entire foot arch. Best of all, you can remove the insole and throw the rest of the shoe right in the washing machine!

I think these will be perfect for walking around Disney World this spring, as well as for the playground, in the gym at preschool, and daily errands. I do wish the store had them in one of the pink colors shown below in her size though, considering at least half if not more of her wardrobe is pink!

Correction: 6.9 pounds!

So I had my offical "Melt Down" weigh in at the Y last night. Their scale is much more accurate than mine, and according to that scale, I've lost 6.9 pounds since last Monday night.

Lunch with Friends

Today was another Daddy heavy day at Little Gym. Lilypad Dad was off today and joined us as well. After class, we joined Buby and his mom and dad for lunch. The kids were so good, they sat across from each other at one end of the booth and kept each other entertained throughout the meal. The moms and dads were actually able to have real coversations without constantly interrupting to talk to the kids. They chatted, fed each other and both ate good lunches. After they were both done, Lilypad Princess joined Buby on his side of the table so they could give each other big hugs. It has been so much fun to watch these two best friends grow together.

Weekly Weight Loss Update

Week 1: .4lbs
Week 2: 3.6 lbs

This was a much better week! Although I didn't make it to the gym at all over the weekend (I thought it was open a little later on Sunday, so I missed my chance) I was very happy with the results this morning.

Workout Check-in

Monday: treading water during family swim, 1/2 hour strength training circuit class
Tuesday: off
Wednesday: 45 minute water aerobics class
Thursday: 45 cardio circuit class, 15 minutes on ellipse (1.2 miles)
Friday: 45 minute water aerobics class

Online Shopping

Lilypad Princess is NOT a shopper. I don't think there is anything worse to her than going to the grocery store, and any other kind of shopping (except maybe toy or shoe shopping) is not far behind. So to make life easier for both of us, I will shop online if I can. I especially appreciate online shopping for Christmas, I can't deal with the overwhelming crowds at the stores then.

Before I shop online, I always check for online coupon codes. CouponChief.com is a good site to find special deals on just about anything you could be looking for. You can search or look for coupons by store if you know exactly where you will be shopping from, or you can browse by category if you know what you want to buy, but don't know where to buy it from.

They have major online retailers like Amazon.com and lots of small companies that I may not have heard of before but have gotten great deals at. With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought I'd take a look and see if any of my favorite sites are listed.

For Lilypad Princess: I want to get her a book or two about Valentine's Day. We have Christmas and Halloween books, and we both enjoy having special ones to read about the holidays. The BooksAMillion.com coupon code, Barnes & Noble coupon code, or Amazon.com coupon codes will be perfect for that.

For Lilypad Dad: I'm not sure what I'm going to get him yet, and even once I know I won't be able to post here because he sometimes jumps on to read what I've written. But I know there are a couple of things that he likes to "window shop" online, and if I can just figure out which he likes best, the Overstock.com coupon codes will definitely come in handy!

For me: There are alot of Circuit City coupon codes. I need to purchase a new webcam so that LP can talk to her Nana and PopPop, hopefully there will be a useful one there when I actually take a look at them all.

About CouponChief.com:
CouponChief.com is a wholly owned subsidiary of Coupon Chief, Inc. Here at Coupon Chief, we strive to provide a one stop coupon deal and discount resource for our Web site visitors. Our focus on customer support and providing up to date coupon codes and promotional deals and discounts is unparalleled in the online shopping e-commerce industry.

Painting Playdates

Alessandro and his mom had us over for a playdate today. We both had a wonderful time, although I think Alessandro and LP had even more fun than the moms for a change. Alessandro wanted to fingerpaint, and Dori, being the brave mom that she is, pulled out the paper and paints. The kids squirted, spread, and smushed the paint with their hands and with brushes, all across the long sheet of paper spread across the table.

Lilypad Princess tried to squirt more paint out of an almost empty bottle, causing the bottle to make noise. Alessandro thought that was hysterical so LP kept squeezing the bottle to keep him laughing. All it took was a little laugh out of one to get the other one going again.


They were both a mess by the time they were done, LP actually painted her arms until she looked like the Wicked Witch of the West. But the clean-up wasn't too painful (her dress is in the wash now) and any amount of clean-up was worth it for the amount of fun these two friends had together.

Finance Genius

As a stay-at-home mom trying to run the Lilypad on a single paycheck, I'm always trying to improve our budget. Sometimes all the different options for some of our finance management can be confusing. Finance Genius provides one place to find information about auto, mortgage, credit, insurance, student loan, and budgeting solutions. Finance Genius allows you to read about current topics, and answers common questions in each category. They have also compiled a resource center and partner network to help you make changes to you monthly expenses.

In the Auto Loan area, you can learn the basics before buying a new car, determine whether a new or used car is best for your situation, and determine if it would beneficial for you to refinance you car loan to a lower interest rate.(Bad Credit Car Refinance)

The Insurance Basics section covers auto, home, and life insurance. It explains the different types of policies available.

This post sponsored by payperpost.

My Make-up Mommy!

Lilypad Princess was being very quiet while coloring on her easel the other day. I should have known something was up! When I heard her walking into the kitchen telling me, "My Make-Up Mommy" I started getting nervous. Yes, that is brown marker. Luckily it was washable and after a 45 minute bath, not a trace remained.

Melt Down

I joined the Melt Down program at the gym on Monday. It is supposed to be similar to The Biggest Loser, it is an 8 week competition to see who can lose the biggest percentage of body weight.

I know I won't win the competition (you are disqualified if you miss 1 weigh in, and I'll be away for a week) but I thought it would be extra accountability for me. We have to weigh in every week, and every other week they will take our measurements. Plus they took a before picture and will take an after picture at the end.

I won't post any of my statistics here, I'm not that brave (and they made me want to cry so I really don't want any reminders) but I'll let you know percentage changes after the weigh ins each week (knowing that I have to post my progress will keep me motivated!)

Love Online

I had skipped over this opportunity on payperpost for a couple of days, after all I'm very happily married and not looking to meet someone. But the reminder of a friend's recent anniversary, they met online and were married over a year ago, peaked my curiosity into the site. When the opportunity was still available this morning, I decided to take a look. Since I now seem to have readers that I don't know and may still be looking for their perfect person, I decided to post about it because the site seems really useful.

The Prime Dating Sites Dating Service isn't actually a dating site itself. It is a site that reviews and compares the online dating sites that are out there. Their reviewers actually try out each site and review them in detail. The reviews outline each site's core services, their target audience and what makes them distinctly different from the rest.

There are reviews of not only the well-known dating sites, such as eHarmony and Match.com, but also sites that I haven't heard of before like Chemistry.com and Perfect Match.

I hope this post will be useful to someone still looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right.

This post sponsored by payperpost.

Can You Sweat In The Water?

If it is possible then I was during class tonight. I decided to give a new class at the gym a try, and attempted my first water aerobics class. It was a much tougher workout than I was expecting! I could actually feel it during class, a couple of the exercises left me short of breath, and I'm sore tonight. BUT... my knees didn't hurt at all during the class. After 4 years of rugby, both knees are shot and hurt no matter what I do and what kind of shape I'm in. But water aerobics didn't bother them at all. I think I'm going to try to make this a regular part of my getting healthy routine.

(I just wish that my class environment was like the one in the photo above, I'd go everyday, probably twice a day!)

photo from google images

Double Duty

Not only is a trampoline a great way to exercise, but it's also a comfortable place to relax and enjoy an apple.

Cinderella Gets A Job

Apparently the pay for being a princess hasn't kept up with the cost of living and Cinderella decided she needed to get a job. Annie and I needed to do some grocery shopping last week, and when we got to the register to check out Cinderella was running the register.

Room Reorganization

When we took the Christmas tree down last week, I decided it was time to reorganize the living room. Because we don't have a playroom yet, as Lilypad Princess has grown our living room seems to have shrunk. It was completely taken over by toys.

I decided to move the two chairs back against the wall, and put the couch across the room, splitting the room into 2 sections. Now the tv, chairs, bookcases and fireplace resemble a living room again, with just the books in the bookcase and her Anywhere chair in the space. Behind the couch has become her toy area. We can store the toys back there, out of sight after she goes to bed. And she has enough room to play back there, or she can bring them out one bucket at a time, making clean-up easier.

I still need to get some more buckets, and I'm trying to decide whether or not to put a small bookcase behind the couch to hold the buckets. But I'm much happier not feeling so overrun with toys all the time.

Our Little Snow White

While we continue to hunt for a new Cinderella dress, the old one will get a little bit of a break. Lilypad Princess seems to like her new Snow White dress almost as much as her Cinderella one. She held onto it in the carseat all the way home, and tried it on as soon as we walked in the door. She had to go upstairs to check herself out in the mirror, Lilypad Dad and I couldn't stop laughing as we watched her primp in the mirror.

The Hunt Is Still On, But Oh What Bargains!

Well, we didn't find the Cinderella dress at the outlet today. They are completely out of the fall version, and only had one (large) spring version out on display. So the hunt is still on for Cinderella's dress, but it was a very successful day anyway.

If you have a child that likes to play dress-up, and you live near a Disney Store Outlet, head over there right away! The children's costumes that are left over from the fall are now only $5.99. And the accessories (shoes, crowns, etc) are only $1.79(and I got my additional 30% off of the sale price as well). The costumes were originally $39.50 each!

For less than $30 we walked out with a Snow White dress, Minnie Mouse dress, Alice in Wonderland dress, Captain Hook costume, Minnie Mouse ears, Jasmine crown, Elizabeth Swann headpiece, 3 fork and spoon sets, and 2 pairs of shorts.

Comparing Credit

Lilypad Dad and I recently opened a new credit card and got rid of our old one with a high interest rate. When trying to decide what card to go with, I spent a lot of time trying to compare cards on my own. With so many companies, rewards programs, interest rates etc to choose from, getting a true comparison can be difficult. Luckily we have good credit, so we were able to get a 0% interest rate for 18 months which made it easier for us to choose our card.

But for people with not-so-good credit, the decision can be harder. BadCreditOffers.com is a free consumer resource to help these consumers get back on their feet financially by choosing the best option for them. The site allows visitors to compare dozens of bad credit offers from major providers and find the best offer to fit their needs.

According to their site bad credit loans, "Our expert staff continuously monitors the credit marketplace to bring consumers the best "bad credit" offers available, and we compile each day's top offers right here at BadCreditOffers.com. Our goal is to provide consumers with the knowledge and resources necessary to help them find the best credit offer to fit their needs, regardless of a bad credit history. "

They offer comparisons of credit cards, home loans, auto loans, and personal loans.

This post is sponsored by pay-per-post.

The Hunt Is On

We are off to the outlets for a quick morning trip. We are on the hunt for another Cinderella dress. It is the only one that Lilypad Princess will wear, and got caught on something and tore the other day. I'm hoping we can find another one before they are all sold out to put away so we will have a clean, unripped one for our Disney trip.

I have a lot of updates to post, which I will try to do if LP takes a good nap this afternoon.

Results of the First Week

Well, I'm a little disappointed after my first week. I made it to the gym Sunday (35 minutes) through Thursday (all for 45 minutes to an hour). I was very good about my eating all week (well, except for when I was away this weekend) but I only lost .4 pounds. I'm still going to keep going, I know it will pay off eventually, but I was hoping to see all my hard work pay off a little more.

Human Touch Massage Chairs

What I wouldn't give for a massage right now. All the working out I did last week left my shoulders, back and legs a little sore. Last week after the 30 minute circuit class and the 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer, I was tempted to take Lilypad Princess to the mall so I could go sit in a massage chair.

How nice would it be to have a massage chair in your house? After a tough workout you just head home and let the chair work out all the sore spots? Human Touch makes a line of massage chairs for your home, I'd love to have one in our house.

The human touch™ massage system mimics known therapeutic massage techniques used by spinal and back care professionals and delivers unrivaled massage chair performance across a wide number of dimensions:

-Penetrating, deep massage mimics the popular main techniques of massage professionals: kneading, rolling, compression, and percussion (see below for additional details)
- A full body massage from top to bottom that moves in all three dimensions and traces the shape of your body as well as your spine.
- Choice of automatic programs allows you to choose the massage that best suits you. From the easy to use remote you can select different massage techniques, strengths of the massages and customize the parts of the body that should be massaged.

The massage techniques you can choose from include compression, kneading, rolling, percussion, foot massage and calf massage.

They have a range of different styles to fit your decor and price range. They also have a massage pad to use on desk chairs, ottomans for just foot and calf massages, and more. You can buy directly through Human Touch or through their licensed dealers, such as Circuit City, Sharper Image and Linens and Things.


For more information, visit the Human Touch Massage Chairs website.

this post is sponsored by payperpost

Footprints

Two footprints in the snow, one belongs to Lilypad Mom, the other to Lilypad Princess.

Christmas Favorites

Now that all the Christmas presents have been played with for a couple of weeks, the favorites are definitely emerging. Lilypad Princess has declared these the best Christmas gifts of 2007 for a 2 year old. Learning Resources Smart Snacks The cupcakes in this set are the source of weekly battles at preschool. So when I told Nana about the set, she decided that LP should have her own. Not only are the cupcakes a favorite, but the ice cream cones are a big hit as well. And I love the fact that they aren't just fun but educational too. The cupcakes teach shapes, the ice cream cones teach colors and the cookies teach numbers.


Jump Smart Trampoline This trampoline holds up to 80 pounds, has a handle to keep the kids safe, and counts for them while they jump. It also has a jumping game, makes silly sounds, or plays music. Lilypad Princess loves to get on and jump, jump, jump. She can get her little feet really high in the air, and has already started trying to do tricks. We have a little daredevil on our hands, but the funniest part is watching her do it in her Cinderella dress. I really like the fact that she's still getting plenty of exercise even when it's freezing outside and we can't leave the house.
Pat Pat Rocket Lilypad Princess has moved Rocket and the Little Einstiens to her bedroom. Before bed we take Rocket and the Einsteins on an adventure somewhere in the world, then we park Rocket next to the Little People House and she puts all of the Einsteins to bed in the house.


Radio and Microphone I can't find a picture of the exact one that Lilypad Princess got, but it's very similar to the one above only it is pink. The microphone plugs in and she can sing or talk without music, or sing along to tapes. You can control the volume of both, making your voice or the music louder if you want. I have enjoyed taping LP as she tells me stories through the microphone.

And the dresses, I can't forget the dresses. The first thing out of LP's mouth everytime you get her out of her crib is "My Cinderella dress please!" She is good about taking it off to eat, but otherwise wears it the entire time we're in the house. And she has been so excited to finally be able to wear "dresses" to bed, we put one of her new nightgowns on over her pajamas at night so she can wear a dress to bed.

Check-in

Here is a quick check-in on my progress this week.

Sunday - 35 minutes on the elliptical trainer
Monday - 35 min on the elliptical trainer, abs on the ball, 2 rounds of the hyadraulic circuit
Tuesday - 35 minutes on the elliptical trainer
Wednesday - 30 minute circuit class (strength and cardio), 30 minutes elliptical trainer

And while not doing actual WW points this week, I have cut down on all my portions, stuck with healthy snacks, made WW friendly meals, and increased my water intake.

Wait a minute...

"Wait a minute" and "Hold me momma" are the two favorite phrases these days for Lilypad Princess. Wait a minute usually proceeds her request to do anything other than what I have just suggested; read another book before bed, put on her Cinderella dress instead of her coat, etc. And hold me momma is always right after she's done nursing and just before burrowing in as close as she can on my lap. Every time I start to get up to put her in her crib, she looks up at me and says it in the sweetest little voice she has. How can I resist a little extra cuddle time after a sweet request like that?

Introducing....

Molly! She was named late last night. I think it's a very cute name for a sweet little puppy.

No Excuses

Well, I guess I have no excuses left for not going to the gym. I thought that Lilypad Princess might keep me from going as often as I should, but she definitely will not be an excuse. I went back to the gym tonight and decided to try out the babysitting service for the first time. I wasn't sure how it would go since this would be the first time she'd be left with anything other than family or close friends that she knows well. But she barely even looked at me as I said goodbye and she ran off to play.

I spent 35 minutes on the elliptical trainer and then another 15 minutes doing ab stuff on the ball. Then I headed back to take her home. So much for missing me, she refused to leave! Apparently when the sitters put on a movie and got all the kids to relax for a little while, LP was already comfortable enough to plop herself down on the sitter's back. She was having such a good time and told me she didn't want to leave, so I headed back to work out some more. I spent another 10 minutes on the elliptical trainer, then learned how to use the hydrolic resistance circuit machines. I was able to do 2 rounds of the circuit before I was so weak I wasn't sure how I was going to walk the two of us home.

I was worried about being able to push myself without the support that I had the last time, but I guess LP will be all the push I need. She will happily spend the full 2 hours she's allowed to be at the gym babysitting so I have 2 hours to work out now.

A New Addition

Nana and Pop Steve took a little drive today and went home with a new family member. Meet little no-name, a 2.5 pound, 11 week old Yorkshire Terrier. When I told Lilypad Princess that Nana and PopPop have a new puppy and asked what they should name her, LP just said "For me". She can't wait to meet little no-name (who will hopefully have a name by then!) and neither can I.

Congratulations Nana and PopPop!

A Full Day and Week

Today was Lilypad Dad's last day of vacation. It has been nice having him home, we aren't ready for him to go back to work. We have had a productive week, Uncle Dave and Lilypad Dad redid the closet so we can get organized, I got the our bedroom clean and organized, lots of laundry, 2 Little Gym make-up classes, dinner with friends, inventory at the store for two days, and lots of playing with all the Christmas presents.

Today Lilypad Princess and her dad went swimming at the Y while I started my new year's resolution. I spent 35 minutes on the ellipse machine, going 2.59 miles in that time.

New Year's Resolution

OK, this is it. I'm putting it out here so you will all keep me on track and accountable. My new year's resolution is to lose weight, get back in shape, and be happy with myself again.

Lilypad Princess is now 2 years old, I really can't keep using her as my excuse for all the weight I have gained. We are going to Disney World in May and I want to have some picture of me with LP and her daddy that I don't immediately want to delete because of how I look in them. So this is it, no more excuses. My mom and Steven gave us a family membership to the YMCA for Christmas, so no more excuses for not working out either. (Thank you so much again Mom and Steven!)

So to hold myself accountable, I am going to post once a week about how I've done that week. If I start skipping posts, please call me out on it!

Sponsored Posts

I was just approved for a new program called PayPerPost that will let you get paid to blog. I found a link like the one in my right column on another blog and decided to check it out. Companies use PayPerPost to get exposure through blog posts, and bloggers can get paid for featuring these companies or products in their posts.

I took a look at some of the opportunities that are available, they have everything from vacations, to mortgages, to baby slings, to coat racks, to snowboards. Basically there is are opportunities available that would interest everyone. Payment for approved posts starts at $5 and I've seen some that will pay $250 or more. I am looking forward to finding out which ones I qualify for.

Just by looking through the opportunities while waiting to be approved, I've already found a few new website that I'm interested in checking out, including one with some really pretty wrought iron wreath hangers.

I will occasionally post some of these sponsored posts as opportunities come up that I am interested in. I think this will be a good way to learn about new products and companies I might not have otherwise heard of. It will be clear in the post that it is a sponsored post. I will continue to also post about things that I know and like and want to post about on my own, those posts aren't sponsored.

If you are interested in signing up, you can get to their site by clicking on the brown box in my right column or by filling in this form.

New Year's Eve Treats

Lilypad Dad and I brought in 2008 with a quiet dinner of appetizers once Lilypad Princess went to bed last night. We enjoyed red wine, shrimp cocktail, salami, cheese fondue, and more. It was a wonderful way to finish off a full year, and I was so happy to be able to actually start a new year with Lilypad Dad instead of a phone.

First Snowman

Lilypad Princess and her dad built her first snowman together.


Lilypad Dad started the bottom snowball, then LP took over the rolling.


Once it was big enough, Lp Dad added the next two pieces and then they decorated with a carrot, some cereal and twigs.