I've Fallen...and I Can't Get Up

I have officially fell off the weight loss-ww-point-counting wagon.

It started with Valentines Day and went downhill from there. Last week a wisdom tooth started breaking through, leading me to not be able to open my mouth very much or chew salads and fruits. It was just the excuse I needed to eat macaroni and mashed potatoes.

I am afraid to get on the scale, in fear that I gained back most of, or all the weight I lost prior (10.5 pounds).

Reading this post and remembering how I felt that week, so motivated and energized, makes me more depressed.

I think what I am lacking is accountability. I am accountable to noone but myself. Which obviously isn't working.

Eric - Friday Night: "Want to stay home, watch a movie, and make calzones?"

Me - thinking: hhmmm...calzones are probably like 35 points each - "OK!"

I have lost all self control.

So I am pledging to blog weekly about my progress, challenges, failures, and emotions.

No more excuses.

A Craig's List Wedding, Really?

Who is this Craig guy, and why does he have all these lists?

Last year, when I was personally banning eBay (because I didn't want my money to go to Meg Whitman and her campaigns for Prop 8) I started using Craig's List. The drawback with using CL is timing. Every time I found something I wanted to buy, I contacted the seller, and the item was already sold. So when Meg stepped down from eBay, I went running back.

My most recent eBay obsession is looking at J Crew wedding dresses. Yes, the dresses are already affordable, but why not get it even cheaper? But after a few weeks of the J Crew dress I am hunting for, not appearing on eBay, I wandered over to Craig and his list to search for it there.

I haven't found it there either yet...I am still searching his other city's lists...but I was shocked to find so much wedding stuff on CL.

Now, i don't mean dresses, rings, decor....all that I expected.

What I am surprised by is all the vendors. Do a search for the word wedding under gigs or services and there it is...venues, caterers, DJs, musicians, photogs, planners, and so much more.

And, I saw a lot of free services....such as planners and photogs just starting out and needing to build a book of their previous work.

I am actually in contact with one vendor who advertised this:

Plan your wedding with ease.

All inclusive wedding packages available for as low as $10,000 for 100 guest.

Package includes:

• Wedding/Reception Location in Raleigh NC (all in the same venue)
• Wedding Photography (photojournalistic style)
• Invitations ( a lot to choose from)
• Wedding Cake
• Catering
• Wedding Flowers/Reception Centerpieces
• Wedding Officiant
• DJ for wedding and reception
• Wedding Favors (a lot to choose from)
• Transportation from Reception
• Wedding Coordinator for the entire day

2009 dates are quickly booking up. Email today for a consultation.

And over email she said I can bring own alcohol for a one time $50 fee (for permit from city). I am going to meet with them later this week and see what they have to say. It sounds to good to be true, so I am skeptical, but I am going in it with an open mind.

So for all the budget brides still looking for vendors, if you haven't already, check out your local Craig's List!

We'll Figure it Out

During our lovely v day meal, I thought it would be a good time for us to rank the priorities for our wedding day. I was hoping that after this exercise, we’d have a clear vision of what we both wanted, and what we were willing to sacrifice to get it.

I was wrong. Very wrong.

We are both not negotiable when it comes to 1. fab honeymoon, 2. parents, siblings, and close friends, and 3. a “really good time”. But that is where our agreements stop.

Important to him – all family and friends, live band, buffet

Important to me – photography, live ceremony music, not going into debt to pay for 1 day

He said things like “I can get a second job” me: uugghh no.

“We can take out a home equity loan” me: in this economy are you kidding me?

“I think we can swing $25k”
me: explain how
“We’ll figure it out”

What? This is his solution…We’ll figure it out….and he is an Accountant?

And he thinks we can go on the cruise this year as well as pay to have a bunch of trees removed from our property. Not to mention the TV he is thinking about getting (because only 2 of the 4 in his man room are HD) or tickets to the UNC-Duke game, which aren’t cheap.

So the conclusions we came to…
1. He will do some research to find a venue that we can bring in any food, liquor, etc ourselves (yes, I wished him good luck).

2. In the meantime, we will have an engagement party. Something small at our home.

v day.

This was our 8th Valentine's day together. I don't think in the entire 8 years we ever went out once for dinner. Vday has always been a night that Eric cooks for me, since I do the majority of the cooking every other night of the year.

Eric cooked a salad, yummy marinated sirloins, and double stuffed baked potatoes. I supplemented with a cheese plate and dessert. Oh dessert....I got 6 different flavors of cupcakes from the Cupcake Shoppe in Raleigh. OMG. We put each on its own plate and passed around so we could try each. So good.

Yeah I Won!

I have been MIA for a few days...Our home lap top crashed last week, still getting fixed. Then on Friday night my work laptop screen went 90% dark. I finally got a brand new shiny one today! I have a lot of catching up on both posting and reading!

I am so excited to find out that I won the contest I posted about in my last entry. I LOVE all Philosophy products, so I sure this one won't disappoint!

Thanks again Wedding Peephole!

Give Away

The Wedding Peephole blog is giving away a Philosophy Kiss Me Lip Scrub to one lucky reader.

The rules are very simple:

Leave a comment to get entered.
Leave a comment and become a follower to get entered twice.
Leave a comment, become a follower and mention the give away on your blog to get entered three times!

If you have never checked out her blog, and you like to shop, you are missing out! She has a great eye for fashion...and bargains!

Good luck!

Decisions, Decisions.

Ok, so Eric and I are use to traveling a few times year. We usually take 1 big trip, then a few long weekend type trips. Last year, for example, we did a cruise, plus long weekends in Asheville, Chicago, and Miami. Oh yeah, and 2 trips to NJ/NY to visit friends and family.

Since I travel for work and have a ton of miles and hotel points, usually the money we spend on food, drinks, and entertainment is more than what we paid for airfare, lodging, or rental car.

Last month we decided to not plan to travel for pleasure this year. This would allow us to save money toward the wedding, but also save our miles and all points for a fabulous honeymoon. In addition my brother is having a baby…well, his wife is…in May...so I have to do a trip for the shower, pay for half the shower, then go back for a week once the baby is born. And don’t forget all the gifts I will have to buy since I am a first time aunt.

On Saturday Eric’s parents dropped off their 3 (yes, 3) dogs for us to dog sit while they are on a cruise. On Tuesday I made the mistake of saying Let’s look up your parents cruise and see where they are today.

Which lead to us looking at cruises for several hours.

Then, to make matters worse, on Wednesday our Chicago friends that we met on our last cruise, called to see if we wanted to book a cruise with them.

So most of Wednesday was spent looking at more cruises.

We can probably fly economy for free, but the cost of the cruise and our bar tab will take a chunk of our savings….that should be for the wedding.

Or should it?

This is what we seriously have to consider…

Are we willing to make sacrifices to our lifestyle to have this wedding?

Or, is the way we live more important to us, therefore should the wedding event be our sacrifice?

I think we seriously have to sit down and make a priority list.