Can you find the sleeping princess?

Though she cannot yet read, this little two and-a-half year old (she'll correct you if you forget the half) completely obsesses over books.


LOTS of them. Big piles all over the house and Suburban. And she screams rather loudly if you try to empty her bed so she'll fit better. Tonight, she even discarded her comforter in lieu of another pile.


And she likes Barbies too, both dressing and undressing them. Unfortuneately, she has only mastered the undressing part.

Fingers crossed that these early signs lead to college scholarships and an A in anatomy rather than a starring role in an episode of Hoarders.

Ten by the Fourth starts tomorrow...

If you're on the fence, I say go for it!!! We'll let you join up to a week late, but why not start tomorrow? See the details in my previous post, with one amendment: if you would prefer I hold your cash rather than a check that works too!

Ten by the Fourth

I feel like Oprah's soul sister with our public ups and downs of weight management.

One year ago I ran a marathon.

Then I stopped running much.

Then I started eating more.

And more, as some rough things happened for me and I ate my way through them.

And now I'm back to square one again, almost. Bummer. I don't have any summer clothes in this size.

I need a little jumpstart to get on track and I thought maybe some of you do too! So I am inviting one and all to participate in the Ten by the Fourth Weight Loss Challenge.

Rules and fine print:

1. The challenge lasts eight weeks, beginning Monday, May 9th and ending on Monday, July 4th.

2. You must weigh in every Monday morning of the challenge in approximately the same weight of clothing. Meaning, if you do your first weigh-in with exercise clothes and running shoes, dress in like manner for future weigh-ins. If you do your first one in the buff, don't add clothing to later weigh-ins.

3. Your goal will be to lose 10 pounds or more. If you don't have that much to lose, congratulations!! Feel free to cheer me on if you see I'm exercising. If we're out together for dinner feel free to "accidently" knock my fork to the floor if I am reaching for a bite of dessert. I don't need it. (Then duck as I might be upset. :)

4. To participate, you must send a check to me for $20 and I must receive it by May 23rd. I will hold all checks, uncashed, until July 5th, and I promise not to lose them!

5. If your final weight is at least 10 pounds less than your starting weight, I will not cash your check. I will shred it.

6. If you do not succeed in losing at least 10 pounds, I will cash your check.

7. The top one (or two if it is reasonably close) weight loss champions by percentage of weight loss will receive the value of all checks cashed. They'll be skinnier AND have some extra money. Win win!!!

8. The challenge is open to my friends, and friends of my friends...feel free to pass the word along. Email me or facebook message me for my address if you need to mail a check.

Hoping for great participation!!!