Operation Weight Loss - Week 5

I am doing a happy dance! I've lost a significant amount of weight over the past 5 weeks. How much? 17.3 pounds! You've read that right. I've lost 17.3 pounds since the week of Thanksgiving AND I've also lost 8.5 inches. I am actually amazed. This week I lost 6 pounds and it is funny because I was not hitting the exercise as hard as usual but I did manage to get it in. I stuck to my EA SPORTS Active workouts but I didn't do any add-ons. Just getting the exercise in was an accomplishment and I am thankful that although I missed some days I was able to make up workouts on my rest days.

My 6 week challenge with EA SPORTS Active More Workouts ends tomorrow but my love of fitness and exercising is not going to end. I actually think I will do another 6 weeks! In addition, I can't speak highly enough of my Jenny Craig consultants. They have all been very helpful, inspiring and encouraging. Having a weekly weigh-in has kept me accountable and I actually look forward to my meetings.

Here is my vlog about my progress this week:

So, I am looking forward to a New Year and a New Me. If you are interested in taking steps toward your health in the upcoming year, here are a few places you might want to check out.

The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans is starting a new challenge tomorrow,December 30th - Rethink Your Shrink! All of the details will be revealed tomorrow but from what I gather, this challenge is all about re-thinking health and weight loss. Sounds good and I know I am up for the challenge!

Mamavation will be supporting 2 moms on the journey to healthy living and have a boatload of prizes to help the moms along the way. I am part of this sisterhood too and I post encouraging tweets to other moms and pat myself on the back along the way too! Applications for the Mamavation moms are being accepted starting January 1 and you have until January 12 to enter. You can read all the details here. On January 21st the winners will be announced after a couple of weeks of voting and there are prizes to be won so come out for the party!

And can I just say one last time - 17.3 POUNDS and 8.5 INCHES! Do I sound excited? I truly am. I can't wait to see what the New Year has in store for me! And you too- are you trying to live healthier in the upcoming year? Let me know, I will be there to cheer you on!

Holiday Favorites Remixed

I love the holidays -spending time with family and friends and the food, oh the food! Clearly since I am on a journey to healthy living I am not going to be able to indulge in the high fat versions of my holiday favorites but I have options! I was sent low fat pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie recipes that were developed by the chefs at Wellspring Academies (wait a minute, just what are they trying to say? LOL) . I haven't tried the pumpkin pie recipe but I have to tell you that the Sweet potato pie was delicious! I put my own spin on it - I really need a crust for my pie and there was no butter extract in the stores so I used "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!" (only a tablespoon). I searched for a low-fat ready made crust and found that Pillsbury Pet-Ritz frozen crust has 90 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving. I also used regular maple syrup, I was unable to locate sugar free.

The pie was so delicious! And at approximately 175 calories a serving and 6 grams of fat - a great alternative! I know I will be making this pie again soon. Who says living healthy means serious sacrifice?

More check-ins at Home sweet home

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Pumpkin Pudding Pie

Ingredients:

1 30 oz. can of Libby’s Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix
½ cup of egg beaters or egg whites
1 cup evaporated skim milk
2 9-inch pie pans

Directions:

Mix pumpkin pie mix, evaporated milk, and egg substitute in large bowl
Pour into pie shells.
Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 50-60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 2 hours or refrigerate. Serve plain or with fat free Cool Whip (15 calories for 2 tablespoons).

Yield: 12 3.5 oz Servings

Nutritional Information:

97 Calories
.4 Fat grams
3.2 Protein grams
20 Carbohydrate grams

Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato

3 cups cubed butternut squash

2/3 cup egg beaters

1/3 cup nonfat vanilla soymilk

1/3 cup sugar free maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

¼ cup granulated Splenda

2 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp butter extract

½ tsp molasses

½ tsp salt

1 cup mini marshmallows

Pam spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Wash and peel the sweet potato and the butternut squash.

3. Dice each into 1/4” cubes, and remove the seeds from the squash.

4. Microwave in a small bowl for 6-10 minutes, then let sit in microwave for an additional 5 minutes.

5. Place squash and sweet potato in a food processor and process until mostly smooth.

6. Add all remaining ingredients except marshmallows and Pam to the food processor and process again until combined.

7. Lightly spray a medium baking dish with Pam.

8. Pour mixture into pan and evenly spread out.

9. Bake for 30-50 minutes, or until very soft.

10. Sprinkle marshmallows on top, then bake 3-5 more minutes, or until marshmallows are beginning to brown.

11. Allow to cool slightly, and then serve!

Yield: 8 servings

Approximate Nutritional Information:

84 calories/0g fat per serving

I Covet thee......

I know, we should not covet anything but I just can't help myself. I was introduced to this beauty in September at the Type A Mom conference and it was love at first sight. What? Are you confused about how I could fall in love with an inanimate object? A printer at that? Oh, no, contrary to what you may believe at first sight, this is not your ordinary printer. Yes, it is an all-in-one, it prints, faxes, scans, and the photo quality is amazing but these things are not what make the HP Photosmart Premium with Touchsmart Web printer stand apart from the crowd. You read that correctly - WEB is part of this printers name. Do you know what that means? This printer connects directly to the Web!

I can't even begin to sing praises for this printer loudly enough. Let me give you a quick insight into what this baby can do. The HP Touchsmart can work stand alone, in other words if your computer is shutdown you can still print from the web apps. Apps- yes, your read that right. Apps for the printer. Right now the Touchsmart has 18 different apps that can be used, especially by busy moms like me. My favorites include - google maps (love being able to print out/confirm directions without firing up the computer), Dreamworks printables (my son has a field day coloring), Nickelodeon printables - Dora and Diego at my fingertips, and Disney printables - Mekhi is in heaven. I love having coupons.com and recipes from coupons.com. Having these conveniences at my fingertips, oh wait, I started this off by mentioning coveting one of these printers but apparently HP heard my wish and they sent me one of my very own!

To me, this printer is the gift that keeps on giving. For the New Year I am going to make a calender using HP's Creative Studio Site and remember I mentioned the photo quality is outstanding? Well, my calender will be composed of my favorite photos of my son (if you keep your photos on Snapfish - there is an app for that!) Oh yes, I have big plans for my printer. The most recently added app is the HP cards app, no need for me to purchase invites for Mekhi's birthday - I can create my own for a fraction of the price! Another app that will be getting lots of mileage is Fandango, I almost always use Fandango to purchase movie tickets and having access to this right on my computer is really a bonus.

Oh I keep forgetting to mention, this printer is called Touchsmart for a reason- it has a touchscreen, that is a little over 4 inches to boot! One more note about pictures, I can edit pictures directly on my printer without turning on my computer! This is something that I plan on doing often. I have been enjoying capturing photos of my son (of course) and family and friends. Many times these photos just sit around because I am lazy - but no more! I can simply use my printer to edit and of course print my final photos.

I hope now you can understand my love for this printer. I have never seen anything like it before but I really can't say I am surprised by HP. Both my husband and I have HP netbooks - he purchased his after my mom gave me one as a gift last year and we love them. This printer is the real deal and I know it will be heavily used by all members of my family! All of this yummy goodness can be yours for $399.00.

Does this sound like something that you'd like for yourself? Or maybe you are interested in another HP product? Well, I have a gift for you too - the HP"s Friends and Family Discount! A discount for special friends of HP - you! If you are not already a fan of HP, use the discounts on your future purchase and let me know if you enjoy their products as much as I do!

Disclosure: I received an HP Photosmart Premium with Touchsmart Web printer for this review but my opinions are 100% my own, I fell in love with this baby long before I ever had her in my possession!

Merry Christmas!

This year is the first time that Mekhi "gets" Christmas. In the past he has had fun opening gifts but didn't really understand what was going on. This year he was introduced to Santa by Dora and I explained that we are celebrating the birth of Jesus. All he talked about on Christmas eve was the "party" for Jesus on Christmas.

My mother and I also explained that Santa comes with presents when we go to sleep. I made the mistake of wrapping one of his larger gifts and putting it under the tree - he was ready to open it as soon as he woke from his nap. Oops!

We averted disaster by telling him that gift was for someone else and distracted him with the notion that Santa comes at night and when you wake up in the day, presents are there waiting. Before we went to bed Mekhi helped me carefully lay out milk (soy) and cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer.

We were in bed by 8:30 and watched my favorite - A Christmas Story. I was amazed that the movie fascinated Mekhi and held his attention. I think it was a combination of the children in the movie and his anticipation of Santa's arrival. At one point we heard footsteps outside our door and he said "I hear Santa!"

Needless to say, I went to sleep waiting for him to retire and when I woke up at 10:30pm his little eyes were still wide open! I turned off the tv and snuggled him closely. When I finally woke up again at 1:00 am he was sleeping.

All of his gifts are now laying under the tree and I cannot wait to see his reaction in the morning. This is the magic of Christmas for me. Remembering the reason for the season and celebrating with the youngest member of my family.

I wish you peace, love and joy this holiday season!

Twas the night before Christmas.......

And I got to play Secret Santa to another blogger courtesy of TJ Maxx! Actually, I went shopping last week to ensure she received her gift in time for the holiday but I had a wonderful time choosing her present. She is a fashionista and I wanted to pick up something that I thought she'd appreciate, armed with a $25.00 TJ Maxx giftcard I made my way to the store.

Immediately I was drawn to the accessory section, TJ Maxx carries great handbags by many top designers and what girl doesn't love a handbag?



After checking out the selection I finally eyed the bag that I thought every girl would love. Fully functional, spacious, and not too trendy. A red hot color. Love it! As a mattter of fact, I love it so much that I searched for a similar bag for myself (the kind folks gave me a giftcard too) but to no avail.



I did purchase a nice angora blend sweater and did not go over budget! Have I mentioned how much I enjoy shopping at TJ Maxx?

I hope that all of your holiday shopping went as quickly and productively as mine did. Happy Christmas Eve. And if you are in the holiday spirit, enter the "Carol-oke" program youtube.com/jointhecarolers you can upload a video of you signing your favorite holiday carol (maybe even one with an off-price twist!), to help raise money for Toys for Tots, and have the chance to win a shopping spree in the process.

Operation Weight Loss - Week 4

I am visiting my mom in New York this week but I am still sticking to my plan. Last week I stopped by my local Jenny Craig and met with a consultant, Jean who was great. She was so sweet and welcoming. As of my weigh-in today I lost 1 pound since last week, bringing my total weight loss to 11.2 pounds!

And, I am happy to say that I am also now in the 180s! Only 38.8 more pounds to go until I meet my goal. This past week was a little challenging because I was sick with a cold and didn't work out as hard as usual. However, I did workout so I am placing a feather in my hat for that accomplishment.

I don't have a photo for this week, my mom's hands are a bit shaky at the moment but if I can get someone to take the picture for me later I will post the week 4 update. Here is my latest vlog about my journey. And although this week is Christmas I am planning on staying on target, eating things in moderation and also baking a sweet potato pie. Be on the lookout for that on Thursday - I will be posting my recipe- lowfat and delicious!

The weather outside is frightful...

We are snowbound here in New York. Actually, things have cleared up but there is at least a foot of snow here. Perfect weather for me to use my Dolce Gusto sent to me by the kind folks at Nestle. They didn't ask me to do anything but enjoy it however I love this thing so much I wanted to share it with you. If you are a lover of coffee or hot chocolate you won't want to miss this. A mess free, quick and easy way to prepare nice hot drinks. I wish I had mine with me right now!

Gifts That Are Sure To Please

I admit it. I am not organized enough to do a holiday gift guide. However, I do want to highlight some products that I think are great gifts this season. Let's begin:

The Aflac Duck

Every year Aflac produces, and with the help of participating Macy’s stores, sells a unique plush holiday duck for a worthy cause—the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and blood disorders. 100% of the proceeds from every duck sold are donated to fight pediatric cancer at a participating hospital nearest to where the Aflac Holiday Duck is sold. Here in Atlanta, proceeds go towards CHOA’s Aflac Cancer Center. Since 2001, the Aflac Holiday Duck has raised more than $2.2 million for pediatric cancer hospitals across the nation.

This year’s soon-to-be collector’s item is dressed as a green holiday tree complete with ornaments and a golden star that lights up. It even quacks its attention-grabbing “Aflaaac” when squeezed. It’s priced for people who are watching their spending, but still want to ive back to the community in this down economy, at $10-15 depending on size. People can find them at participating Macy’s stores, and at www.AflacHolidayDuck.com.

Obama Time Capsule

This is the most amazing commemorative gift I have seen. The road to the historic election of President Obama is chronicled in this book. It is aesthetically beautiful, full of large color photos. But that is not what sets this book apart. You have an opportunity to contribute to the book and personalize it.

I dedicated my book to my son and it will be a keepsake he has forever.

For ordering info visit: The Obama Time Capsule

E.L.F. Cosmetics

This minty lip gloss is my favorite. It is a great color and I love the taste - sometimes it is difficult to keep from licking it off my lips completely. Although I am really feeling this gloss at the moment, I like most of the products from e.l.f., especially since most things cost between $1-$3! Great stocking stuffers and when you sign up for the newsletter you always get great deals. Visit elf.com or your nearest Target- they carry some of the products now.

Kodak Zi6 Pocket Video Camera

This is a great pocket video camera that produces HD video. It is so simple to use and I can slip it in my purse or pocket to catch special moments in everyday life. AS you can see, even Mekhi enjoys making videos - seeing the world from his perspective is always interesting. I was lucky to receive this in a gift bag during a party at the BlogHer conference.

Virgin Mobile - Rumor 2

Got a teen that loves to talk? Virgin Mobile has a no contract unlimited talk plan that might be perfect for you. At $50.00 a month it is a bargain and if you don't want to go that route you can just place money on the phone and use it as you go. My mother who is not technologically inclined has been a Virgin Mobile customer for years and loves it! It is obvious that Mekhi loves talking on the phone too - so in a few years I think I will use Virgin Mobile for him. We've had fun testing it out this month thanks to Virgin and elf cosmetics. They have paired with elf for the Sexiest Mouth Contest, hurry and enter to win $1000, a Rumor 2 and $185 Elf cosmetics!

Energizer Energi to Go AP1500

I have an iPhone 3G and when I am using it to take pictures, use whrrl and tweet, as well as make calls and manage my life the battery wears out quickly. This energizer battery doubles the life of my iPhone and makes a huge difference when I am out and about chronicling my life using my iPhone. I am so grateful that I received one to review and when compared with the one that I purchased by another manufacturer, this one is far superior.

K'nex Sesame Street -

Mekhi loves his K'nex Elmo policeman and car. He spends at least 15 minutes at a time playing with it and for those of you with toddlers, you know this is amazing. He can take this thing apart, put it back together and there are other pieces in the series so when he is older he can build an entire village. This is the best toy that Team Mom has sent to us for testing.

Leapfrog Tag Reading System

I received a LeapFrog Tag book at BlogHer and then at Blogalicious I won the pen and Mekhi was delighted. He loves to read and even though the Tag is slated for children 4 -8 at 2 he enjoys listening to the stories. I may end up purchasing the LeapFrog junior for him but at this point he seems to be doing okay with the regular one.

Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail

Although Mekhi is almost (crossing my fingers) out of diapers, he still uses pull-ups and I need a way to dispose of them without funking up my bathroom. *cue music* Munchkin Arm and Hammer Diaper Pail to the rescue! I was so happy to receive one of these to review because it has an innovative system that sprinkles baking soda on the dirty diapers. This is ingenious and I no longer have to worry about the pee smell permeating the bathroom (lucky for me he now keeps poopy in the potty).

EA SPORTS ACTIVE More Workouts

As I mentioned before, I am participating in the 6 week challenge and I have to attribute a good amount of my 11 pound weight loss to using More Workouts. I love the new additions - stretching, ab work and the tropical setting. I am also a really big fan of squash, you can't go wrong with this game if you are looking for a fitness product for the Wii that is both fun and gives results.

Lane Bryant Gift Card

Although I am working on getting in shape I am still a plus-sized girl and my favorite place to shop is Lane Bryant. I'd have to say that 85% of my wardrobe is from Lane Bryant and the good people there sent me a gift card to shop and see all of their gifts for under $50.00. Except, I still haven't shopped and am not sure when I will but the giftcard does not expire. If you have a curvy girl to shop for this is a gift that she will love.
This is my list of some of my favorite things and if you are a procrastinator like me and still need to make some last minute purchases you might consider some of these things. It is snowing here in New York and my shopping will probably take place on Tuesday or Wednesday. Oh well, have I mentioned that procrastination is my middle name?

Holiday Giveaway!

Giveaway Closed Congratulations to Andrea!

When I think of the holidays, family and food immediately come to mind. I love to bake and the aroma of pies, cookies and cakes fills my kitchen during the holiday season. This year I am watching my weight but I will still be preparing goodies for my family and I will be putting a spin on my sweet potato pie that will make it a guiltless pleasure. I'll post about that next week but in the meantime I wanted to share with you an extra special holiday package courtesy of Nestle. They are providing one of my readers with a Holiday gift pack stuffed full of things to make your holiday cooking go off without a hitch - great recipes, and coupons from brands like Stouffers, Juicy Juice, Carnation and more. A 4x6 silver photo frame to retain memories of the celebration is also included.

To enter - leave a comment with the name of your favorite holiday food that you like to make or eat!

Extra entries (leave a comment for each method of entry):
Subscribe - if you are already a subscribe that counts too
Tweet - Enter to win holiday favorites on Cutie Booty Cakes @reneejross http://bit.ly/4RXrSv


Good Luck! This contest is open until Sunday, December 20th at 11:59 pm E.S.T. Winner will be contacted by email and have 48 hrs to respond or another winner will be chosen.

For a chance to win $500.00 visit Nestle Family and enter the Holiday Memories Photo Contest.

This contest is being sponsored by Nestle and I will receive the same package as the winner.

Operation Weight Loss Week 3

DSC_0220
Originally uploaded by rj_ross.rm

This is week 3 of my weight loss journey and I am proud to report that I am down another 2.3 pounds! This brings my grand total to a little over 10 pounds. I am so excited. I know that I still have a way to go but I am sticking to my plan, eating my Jenny Craig food and exercising consistently. Just so you know, from here on out I am likely to only lose 1 or 2 pounds a week. I have prepared myself for this and am committed to sticking to my plan of healthy eating.

When I talked to my consultant this week we discussed my strategy for eating while I am visiting family over the holidays. I plan on visiting the nearest Jenny Craig for food and carrying my resource books for eating out with me at all times. I know that it is inevitable for me to eat out when catching up with friends in New York and I am prepared.

I have been exercising consistently and meeting my goal of at least an hour a day six days a week. The EA SPORTS Active More Workouts keeps me on my toes and I have been playing squash to prepare for the tournament that all of the Challengers are going to participate in when we get together next month in California. My best rally so far is 87 and I am working on getting to 90 so I have a perfect score. Perhaps next week I will make my goal.

Here is my newest video about my experiences so far.

Straight No Chaser!

Giveaway Closed - Congratulations to Tracey!

This is a wonderful group of guys - I'd love to be able to tell you all of their names but that would be virtually impossible. My memory failed me two minutes after meeting all of them but what stood out for me was their kind and generous nature. The fellows in the picture above are Straight No Chaser, an acapella group that is touring the U.S. right now. They were "discovered" on YouTube and have been a sensation ever since.

They have two CD's that are Christmas music, the most recent one is titled Christmas Cheers and I love it.

Their sparkling personalities are evident in the music and seeing them perform live is an experience that I think everyone should have. The show is appropriate for all ages and it was so nice seeing families of all ages together enjoying the music.

We practically swooned when the group sang for us, having a handsome group of men serenade you is always special - ha, like that always happens! That is the first and likely the last time that will happen to me but I cherished the experience. I especially appreciated that they dedicated a song to Anissa (she'd had her stroke the day before and actually was supposed to attend) and several of them told me she is in their prayers.

I actually have video and unfortunately have been having problems uploading it - hopefully my computer issues will be resolved soon so I can give Anissa this special gift. In the meantime I am posting their original YouTube clip from 1998 that started it all for the group. They are so entertaining.

For a complete listing of their upcoming shows visit their website - SNCmusic.com. While there you can learn all about the group, read their blog and enjoy more of their music. In addition, you can check to see when their PBS special is showing in your area.

To help you celebrate the holiday season I have a copy of their latest CD to giveaway!

All you have to do is visit their website, come back here and tell me the name of one of their songs - other than the 12 Days of Christmas!

Extra Entry tweet: Win @sncmusic CD on Cutie Booty Cakes blog http://bit.ly/7lZRiC! And leave a comment letting me know.

Good Luck!

This contest will end on Monday, December 14th at noon. Open to US and Canada residents only. Winner will be contacted by email, please be sure to leave an email address if you are not registered on blogger.

Operation Weight Loss Wk 2

Operation Weight Loss Wk 2
Originally uploaded by rj_ross.rm

Here is my week 2 photo and I think that I see some changes in my body now. I think that my torso is slimming a bit, especially in my stomach area. On Monday I had my 2nd week weigh-in at Jenny Craig and I maintained my weight loss. That is a good thing, my first week was big with an 8.2 pound loss and this week it is my time of the month. Generally I get bloated and having no weight gain is really a plus for me.

As far as my eating goes, I have been sticking to my plan. Adding my fruits and veggies to the JC food. Last Tuesday I went out for sushi with my friend Laura, we shared all of our food and I didn't overdo it. I did treat myself with a wine spritzer which I suspect the bartender added soda to instead of soda water but no biggie. When I make my own spritzers I add tonic water to cut down on the calories and will do that over the holidays too.

One more thing about the Jenny food - I've found an anytime bar I like, thanks Jericho! Jericho suggested I try the oatmeal raisin bar and I enjoy it. It is new and I think a great addition to the plan. I have been exercising, I continue to strive for at least an hour a day. I want to talk a little about exercise today.

Exercise

I used to be an aerobics instructor. Yup. I was a fitness fanatic and exercised at least 2 hours a day 5 - 6 days a week. I LOVED fitness. I go through cycles of not exercising but I know the importance of exercise and really do strive to stay in shape. Until something comes up. And then I slack. I am once again adding exercise to my life in a way that works for me.

I have so many tools at my disposal in my home so that I can keep my exercise fun and interesting as well as challenging. Between my workout DVDs, Wii fitness games and Exercise TV and Jenny Craig Walking DVD I have tons of options. The key is ensuring that I actually get up off my butt and do it. I haven't missed a day in my EA SPORTS Challenge and look forward to working out.

Now that I am working out consistently I question why I haven't been doing this all along. And I push myself. The one thing that I have to remember is that this is a marathon, not a sprint. That is difficult for me. I am so used to exercising for 30 days and getting off the extra weight - which works when there are only 10 pounds to lose but I have 50 to lose. It didn't creep up overnight and it is not going away overnight. I tell myself this everyday otherwise I may end up exercising so much that I will hurt myself.

If you are working on weight loss give yourself a break too. Understand that this is a lifestyle change and commit to this for the long haul. And perhaps this will be the last time that we will have to fight to lose weight. I know this is my hope and I committed to being a healthier me!

One more thing - I've started documenting my journey on video too! Here is my second video

Tis' The Season

This is the season for giving and although I am not a big fan of the materialism of the season, I am a fan of giving to worthy causes. I know I am not the only one that feels this way, the blogosphere has come together to support families in need of support and this year is no different.

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about my friend Anissa's stroke. This mother of 3 is still in the hospital but she has been moved from the icu and will soon begin the long process of rehabilitation. All of this will take time and energy and financial support.

Another blogger, Matt Logelin lost his wife Liz, 24 hours after she gave birth to their daughter Madeline. He started the Liz Logelin Foundation to help financially support families suffering similar losses.

Starting tomorrow, seven different blogs will be hosting auctions of items donated by the blogosphere to raise money for Anissa's family and The Liz Logelin Foundation. They include: Buried with Children, Mayhem & Moxie, 7 Clown Circus,Scary Mommy, The Extraordinary Ordinary, Mama’s Losin’ It, and Adventures in Babywearing.

All bids start at $10.00 and the auctions will be open until Friday. So tomorrow, if you are so inclined check out the auctions and see if there is anything that you'd like to bid on. If the bidding gets too high or perhaps you cannot participate, please consider clicking my sidebar and contributing to the Mayhew family or visit the Liz Logelin Foundation and donate $7 on 7- Matt has challenged everyone to donate $7 to his foundation instead of purchasing latte's this season.

Thanks for reading and remember - tis' the season!

Moms of Hue Launch - A Day of Giveaways!

On Monday, December 7th Moms of Hue is holding the official launch party. This has been a long time in the making but we wanted to celebrate with a big bang! We have over 30 prizes that we will be giving away all day long. Follow the conversation on twitter by searching for the #momsofhue hashtag and be sure to follow - @momsofhue so that you don't miss a chance to enter our giveaways!

And of course, be sure to stop by Moms of Hue, we have an excellent team of writers who voice the perspective of Moms of Hue. All are welcome!

Tide Loads of Hope coming to Austell, Georgia 12/7-8

Tide's loads of hope program is coming to Atlanta! This is so exciting. Tide loads of hope provides free laundry services in areas affected by disaster. Many of you saw my video from the severe flooding in Atlanta in September. There are many people in the Atlanta area that continue to be seriously affected by the flooding.

On December 7 -8th the Tide Loads of Hope Truck will provide free laundry services - wash, dry and folding for all local families in need. Drop off begins at 8 am and services end at 6 pm each day. If you know anyone in the Atlanta area in need please let them know!

Austell, Ga City Hall

2716 Broad Street

8am-6pm

If you want to support the efforts of Tide you can purchase a vintage tee on the Tide Loads of Hope website or purchase Tide with a yellow cap, a portion of the detergent proceeds and all of the t-shirt proceeds go to the cost of providing the laundry services in areas like Austell. If 1000 t-shirts are purchased Tide will donate $50,000 to it's partner Feed America.

This is such a wonderful service and the truck has already visited New Orleans and Baton Rouge-Louisiana, Fargo- North Dakota, Galveston-Texas, Waterloo - Iowa.

Whatever you can do to support this effort - get the word out, purchase a tee or detergent will positively impact others!

Thank you in advance for your help!

Operation Weight Loss - Week 1

Week 1
Originally uploaded by rj_ross.rm

*Giveaway Closed* Congratulation to Naomi!

After one week of implementing the Jenny Craig - food, mind and body approach to healthy living I have lost 8.2 pounds! In addition to the portion controlled Jenny meals and my additional produce and milk additions I of course exercised. One of the most welcome surprises was the Jenny Craig lemon cake. Oh my gosh, I can't even begin to explain to you how delicious it is and having that treat on the menu is such a bonus. It just goes to show you that eating healthy does not mean having to give up life's sweet pleasures. And actually, I have to say that I have enjoyed most of the food on my plan. I think my least favorite thing has been the anytime bar but over time I have actually started to be okay with the taste. This week I am alternating with multi-vitamins and the addition of a milk instead of the bars. I love that flexibility. Another thing that I plan on doing is integrating my own breakfast next week. Although this is not suggested for everyone, I am pretty sure that I will be able to manage.

EA SPORTS Active More Workouts is simply amazing. Without More Workouts I know I would not be as successful with my weight loss. I love the scenery - although I don't have plans on going to a tropic island anytime soon, the vivid graphics on More Workouts inspire me and are visually pleasing. I really like the variety of activities, like the obstacle course, the outrun - where you have to sprint to pass other runners, combo boxing (my favorite), squash, and waterskiing. And this is just a sample of the activities that I do with More Workouts. I have been so happy with my progess so far and wanted to celebrate my weight loss with you - so at the end of this post there is something special......

But right now, I am posting the dreaded "before" picture. Although I didn't take one last week, every week from now on I will be posting my photo. I am also keeping the photos on flickr, this time next year I want to be able to see my accomplishments. Posting my photo here and on flickr is all about accountability. I find that I am more successful when I am accountable not only to myself but others. And for me that means having a community (or communities) around me for support. Here are some of the communities that have helped me and if you are on a journey to healthy living perhaps they can help you too.

Community and cheerleaders
I find that I am much better at weight loss and healthy living when people know that I am working on improving my life. Like - a lot of people. I wasn't always this way, I used to just go to the gym, workout and be surprised when I received a compliment about my physique. That is not happening at the moment. I don't think in my current state I will get many compliments on my body but I am working on it.

In the meantime, since I don't go to the gym I have to reach out to the community that I have and find new ones. This has been fairly simple because I went to the largest community I could think of to talk about my weight loss journey - twitter. I chat on twitter about the steps I log on my pedometer and my victories - as well as defeat. I find that having a community around me encourages, motivates and inspires me to do better.

Here are a few sources for community and inspiration that I tap into:

Jenny Craig - although I am only in week two of the program it has been outstanding. The first week I met Roz, the manager of the center. After my initial consultation she called me - the day before Thanksgiving to talk to me about my plan for the holiday and ask how the program was working for me. On Saturday I also received a card in the mail, the front said Congratulations! and inside I found a handwritten note from Roz congratulating me on taking the steps to change my life. And I also received a reminder call about my appointment on Monday. When I weighed in everyone was impressed with my weight loss and they all congratulated me. The environment at Jenny Craig is so warm and supporting - even if this was my only community I know I'd be okay. I also utilize the online JC community, the forums, meal tracker and diary entries are very helpful for me.

EA SPORTS Active More Workouts Challengers - The other 11 men and women on the challenge are both a source for inspiration and motivation for me. We check in with each other on twitter and facebook as well as chronicle our experiences on the main EA SPORTS Active website. They help me stay on my toes and I can't wait to meet everyone in January to see how we've all progressed during the Challenge. There is also a forum on the website where anyone participating in the Challenge can discuss their experiences.


Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans - These ladies write about their weight lost and fitness journey on a daily basis and once a week on Wednesday have a check-in. For six week intervals they have challenges that you can participate in. It is a wonderful community of women (and 1 man). I met Christy on my recent trip to Cali, she is also a EA SPORTS Active More Workouts 6 Week Challenger.

Bookieboo- My friend Leah has this community of people interested in a fit and healthy lifestyle. And recently she started Mamavation to support a Moms trying to get fit and healthy. I enjoy watching and cheering on the progress of the Mamavation moms and Leah is certainly one of my biggest cheerleaders on twitter.

Los Angelista- My friend Liz aka Los Angelista, is holding a Holiday Fitness Challenge on her blog. She is challenging everyone to workout at least 30 minutes a day, keep a food journal and weigh in weekly.

Tweightloss 2010 - Another friend, Audrey McClellan started this twitter support group 18 months ago and last year her husband lost a whopping 80 pounds! I don't have all the details about how this works but if you send an email to her husband @formerlyfatmatt at tweightloss@gmail.com. I am pretty sure I am joining up with this too.


I am not suggesting that you join all of theses communities but I do recommend finding a community that works for you. I think that talking to others that understand the challenges of healthy living and support your lifestyle change is extremely important for success.

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This is probably the longest post in history but I've saved the best for last. To help celebrate my weight loss the kind folks at EA SPORTS Active are sponsoring a giveaway of EA SPORTS Active More Workouts!

If you win we can become accountability partners too! All you have to do is leave a comment that explains what you are doing over the holiday season to ensure that pounds don't creep up. *Mandatory entry*

And of course there are Extra Entries:

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Tweet the giveaway. To make it easy you can use this text: Enter to win #EASactive More Workouts on Cutiebootycakes Blog @reneejross ://bit.ly/92aDCu Pls R/T

Blog and link back to this giveaway.

Good Luck! This giveaway is open until 9:00 PM on Friday, December 11, 2009. One winner will be chosen by random. Winners will be notified by email (please be sure to include your email address if it is not in your profile) and have 48 hours to respond. Otherwise, an alternate winner will be chosen.

Disclosure - I received a copy of EA SPORTS Active More Workouts to participate in the 6 week challenge and I am also receiving a discount on Jenny Craig. This however in no way influences my opinions.

World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day. I am sure that most people are aware that HIV/AIDS is an international issue, however I think that many are unaware that it is still an issue here in the United States. Last year on World AIDS Day I did a video discussing HIV/AIDS - specifically here in the US. I wish that things were different but my video is still relevant today so I will post it again.



For more information about HIV/AIDS you can visit the CDC website, The Red Pump Project, The Kaiser Family Foundation and The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. I am happy to note that I am on the blogger advisory council for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and it is my hope to have a world where no child is born with HIV.

You can join the moment to support the efforts of The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation by clicking HERE

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation challenges itself and the global community to decrease new global pediatric HIV infections by one-half between 2009 and 2013, preventing nearly a million infections in children.

The Foundation, together with its partners, will work to reach 15 million pregnant women with prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services in many of the world's most vulnerable countries between 2009 and 2013.

Each of us can make a difference. Why not start today?