The Christmas Can Can - Straight No Chaser!

And here is another hit from my friends Straight No Chaser! The Christmas Can Can. This is HILARIOUS!

The 12 Days of Christmas - Straight No Chaser

Today I give you the 12 Days of Christmas - Straight No Chaser style! This group is so great in concert and wonderful for all ages. They have a Christmas album that I highly recommend and I have to tell you that I don't think I've ever met such a nice group of guys. I met them last year at a blogging event that I organized and they were simply amazing! Without further ado, Straight No Chaser! 

A Social Network Christmas!

Have you ever wondered what would have happened if Jesus was born in this age of facebook and social media? Well, the folks at IgniterMedia came up with the wonderful twist on the Nativity Story. Gotta Love It!

It's Christmas!

So, unbelievably there are only eleven more days left in 2010. And Christmas is only 5 days away! I'm here prepping for my visit North. There is packing to be done, the house to be cleaned and I have certainly been reflecting on this year. My journey to healthy living remains a journey, I guess I've been on a hiatus of sorts for the past few weeks but with the Disney Princess Half-Marathon fast approaching I will be back in training shortly. 


I will be making a huge spread for Christmas this year - actually my Mom and I will be cooking and it will be so nice to spend another holiday with family and my friends in New York. I'd love to say I'm going to be making an entirely healthy dinner but actually butter, cheese (gotta have mac & cheese), and of course my special Sweet potato pie will be on the menu. 


The key to healthy eating during the holidays for me is not to cut out my favorites but to taste everything. A little of indulgence keeps me from overdoing it and of course spreading the love by sharing food with my friends keeps it out of my sight and mouth! 


I'll be running around like crazy over the next few days and hope to post but if I don't.....Merry Christmas!!!!!

The Biggest Loser Challege Wii Game - video post

In the winter I am a fan of exercising indoors. When offered the chance to try out The Biggest Loser Challenge Wii game I jumped right on it. Check out my video to get my thoughts on the newest release from The Biggest Loser Franchise! 

I'm on Diet and exercise Cruise Control

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I am a slacker. For the past month or so I've been on cruise control with my diet and exercise.  I've been completely slacking! For some reason these things have just not been priorities in my life. When I got on the scale this morning things were pretty much the same way they looked last week - 156.8 but I know I could be doing much better. I think this cold has me held hostage and even though I have access to fitness workouts that I can do from the comfort of my home, the busy schedule of this time of year keeps me occupied. 


But I know these are just excuses. Last year I was on track. Lost weight and looked great. Ah, well, the trials and tribulations of living a healthy lifestyle. I think this just comes with the territory. The thing that I refuse to do is beat myself up about this. I am just going to keep saying to myself that I can do this and you know what? One of these days I actually will! 

How about you? Are you meeting your health and fitness goals? Come on, dish!

Wordless Wednesday

It has been awhile since I participated in Wordless Wednesday but this picture is amazing! Yesterday Mekhi and I went to the screening of Yogi Bear - it comes out on Friday - and we had a great time!

My new body rocking leggings 3 different ways!

One of the biggest perks that I’ve enjoyed as a result of my weight loss is shopping for new clothes. Although I don’t have an extensive wardrobe yet, I do have some pieces that lay the foundation for my style. One of the staples in my wardrobe are my shaping leggies from Yummie Tummie. I’ve long been a fan of Yummie Tummie, I’ve been a brand ambassador since July 2009 and I wore my Yummie Tummie in all of the photos I took to chronicle my weight loss. It has actually been really fun for me to go from an X-Large to a medium/small in the line. So, of course I immediately said yes when I was asked to show you 3 different ways I wear my Yummie Tummie shaping leggings! 

First I give you a casual look. I wear this when I’m running around town, doing errands but still want to look cute. I actually wore this outfit when I met with designer Nick Verreos and he told me that I looked “muy caliente” The shirt hugs all of my curves and the leggings keep everything tight!

The next look is a business casual look. When I have meetings or if I’m attending a conference I will pair my leggings with a nice blazer that pops and some cute shoes. I always get compliments on this particular outfit.

Finally, I give you my New Year’s Eve outfit. I’ve paired my leggings with an open shouldered dress. I’ll be spending the holiday in New York so I want to be sure my legs are warm when I’m walking the busy streets of the Big Apple. I’m bringing in the New Year showing off all of the wonderful body that I’ve worked so hard to get this past year.

This post is part of a style series sponsored by Yummie Tummie and Clever Girls Collective. I received a complimentary pair of leggings and compensation for writing the post. All of the views expressed in this post are my own.

Foodie Friday Vegetarian Chili

With the cold weather upon us I like to keep warm by making comfort food. Many times people are under the impression that comfort food has to be bad for you but I love to make chili. It is quick and easy and packed with nutrients! Mine is filled with black and kidney beans, soy ground meat and of course tomatoes. My canned tomato of choice is Hunt's and I recently found out that recent studies have suggested that the distinct combination of nutrients found in tomatoes may have a measurable impact on heart disease prevent! (ConAgra Foods)


Heart disease prevention is high on my list of priorities, the maternal side of my family has a history of hypertension and my weight was leading me down the path of high blood pressure. I've been inspired to remain committed to being healthy by all of my family members and I especially want to be around for my baby boy. By adding exercise and making good food choices, I've been able to reduce my risk of heart disease and now I know that eating tomatoes will also add to my prevention efforts. Although some may be skeptical of using canned tomatoes, you might be surprised to learn that Hunt's tomatoes are flash-steamed to help them keep their backyard-garden-fresh taste, are 100 percent natural and contain no artificial preservatives or ingredients. 





I'm a big fan of Hunt's and for my chili I used crushed tomatoes. I'm posting my simple recipe, hopefully you will try it and enjoy it as much as my family does.

Vegetarian Chili

1 medium onion
2 jalepeno peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can organic kidney beans
1 can organic black beans
1 package Morningstar soy crumbles
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 can Hunts Crushed tomatoes
Chili powder
Black pepper
Sea Salt

Method:
Chop onion, jalepeno peppers (I keep the seeds in for heat), and garlic. Heat olive oil in medium skillet. Add onion, peppers and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes until aromatic. Add package of soy crumbles and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Add kidney and black beans, crushed tomatoes and seasonings to taste ( I don't measure). Cook over low flame for 30 minutes. Serve hot! This recipe is especially good with homemade cornbread!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post but as usual all opinions are my own and I am an avid user of Hunts! 

Tis The Season for Giving! Video Post

I love the holiday season. The twinkling lights, the smell of a Christmas tree, of course the good food and being surround by family and friends. The holidays are also a time for me to be thankful for all of the blessings that I have. Although I am no millionaire, I am blessed with a lovely home, my health and a healthy family, two cars and we never go hungry. I'm blessed!

When I measure all of my blessings I also realize that there are so many people out there (now more than ever) that are struggling not only to make ends meet but out in the cold with no place to live, with young children and unable to fulfill their children's desire for a gift this holiday season. When I was asked if as a Walmart Mom I wanted to participate in a Toy Haul Challenge to see how many toys I could purchase with $100.00 I immediately said yes because all of the toys are being given to my charity of choice. Check out my video and see how well I did!



I am donating the toys to my church, we will be distributing toys to needy children in the Atlanta area. I am so thankful for this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others this holiday season.



Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and was compensated for my time to make this video and write this blog post. 

A Weighty Issue

A Weighty Issue

Well, I hopped on the scale today and to my surprise it read 156.4 pounds. I *think* I weighed 162 last week. I know it was over 160 but can’t remember the actual number. This week the only changes I’ve made have been to cut out fast food. I know. What is the queen of “Clean” eating doing eating fast food? Well, I have no excuse. I think that there is a combination of things going on - the cold weather, early darkness and lack of consistency with my medication all contribute to my lackadasical approach to my exercise and eating. I know for many people the onslaught of winter brings on depression and if I’m not careful I can fall into a serious funk.

I am pretty sure that I have an handle on things now. I am being consistent with my meds and I’m not binge eating anymore. Most importantly I have an awareness about my situation and have decided to make a change. By doing this I am no longer going to engage in self-destructive behaviors (binge eating) but turn to healthy choices, even when I have the urge for some emotional eating.

I have still not gotten on a consistent exercise plan SO as soon as I finish typing this I am running to my family room, taking advantage of my son’s nap and starting my EA SPORTS Active 2 challenge. I’m ready to be focused, stay healthy and maintain my weight loss.

I’ve only been honest in this space and I continually admit that living a healthy lifestyle is not easy. There are going to be good days and bad but I am determined to have my good days outweigh the bad ones.

My Favorite Things - A Strand of Pearls - Giveaway (video post)

 It is the holiday season and I want to share with you some of my favorite things.  These are things that are not necessarily fitness oriented but can be used as treats when you meet fitness goals! I am all about rewarding myself when I accomplish my goals.

First up, a strand of pearls from PearlParadise.com which specializes in freshwater pearls at numerous price points so they are really affordable. I received a 18 inch pearl necklace that sells for $100 and comes with an appraisal. The appraised value is $570! Every girl deserves pearls and I am so glad to finally have a strand of pearls to call my own. The thing I like about pearls is the versatility. I can dress them out for a night on the town or just pair them with a t-shirt and jeans to run errands.

You too can be the owner of a strand of pearls! PearlParadise is providing a strand for one of my lucky readers.

To Enter:
All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me why you'd like the pearls for yourself or who you'd give them to (this is a mandatory entry).

Extra Entries:
Tweet about this contest: Enter to win a strand of pearls on @CutieBootyCakes http://bit.ly/f6vUp5

Follow Pearl Paradise on Twitter

Like Pearl Paradise on facebook
 

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT FOR EVERY METHOD OF ENTRY! Be sure to leave your email address in your comment if it is not in your blogger profile!

Good Luck!
(previous winners on other blogs of PearlParadise items are not eligible to enter. The contest ends Saturday, December 11 at 11:00pm EST)

Motivation for Exercise - Video Post

Today I'm discussing finding motivation to exercise.  I know that although I am fairly consistent with my exercise, it isn't easy. I hope this video helps you - remember we can help each other ! Trust me, I need all the help I can get. After Thanksgiving my scale has moved up instead of down so it is time to get serious!



Also, today is World AIDS Day. The epidemic is NOT over and it is important for us to remain educated, spread awareness and be safe! We are working for a world without HIV/AIDS.

Last year nearly 1/2 million babies were born with HIV. By 2015, that number could be zero. Change your profile picture to a (2015)RED image and help turn Facebook, and the world, (RED) for World AIDS Day. http://f.joinred.com/nJJ

Also, please watch this video http://www.starbucks.com/share/#/the-killers for every view Starbucks is donating 5 cents to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.