Member123

I have not posted on here for months, but just wanted to come back and say how much I love Zumba. I strated going one night a week and then wanted more and found out here how to find another class (thanks!) so I now go two, sometimes three times a week... still looking for the elusive Friday class which suits my schedule. I love Zumba. I go to classes with two different instructors. They each have their own style and I like that. I can't say I prefer one over the other.

So I was reading Princess does Zumba. Has anyone done this on a Princess ship? I've never been on Princess. DH loves Celebrity. We have also sailed Norwegian and Royal Caribbean and like them. For DH it has to have good food. How is the food on Princess? I like the food, shows, pools and if it has Zumba I would much prefer that than going to the gym or walking on the deck!

Here's my opinion, based upon the few Zumba classes that I've seen on board ship(s). And, let me preface this by saying that I haven't seen any specifically on board Princess, but I've heard from other cruisers about the Zumba on Princess.

It isn't Zumba.

It might be called Zumba. But, it isn't Zumba.

If you think you're going to be going to a Zumba DANCE FITNESS class, then you will be extremely disappointed.

The "Zumba" that is offered on board ship(s), is a Zumba experience.. would be the best way that I could describe what happens. Basically, the environment isn't in the gym setting; it's usually in a very public place like a promenade, a theatre, a disco. The instructor will discuss the moves (at quite some length) and it almost becomes the same as describing one of their line dances, kwim? Then, the music starts and you will be led through the choreography to the song. So, you will be moving for around 3 minutes before you stop... converse... laugh.... mingle... listen to the instructor talk and talk and talk. It's really no different than going to one of their dance instruction classes; i.e., salsa, merengue, etc. The people who come to the "class," dress in street clothes; they don't even wear fitness clothing. And... no sweat to speak of...

If they would ever hold it in the GYM, with sign up sheets, etc., then I would be so interested!

Princess food... We went on a Princess cruise a few years ago. We usually sail Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. If your DH loves Celebrity and likes good food, IMO... you should sail with Celebrity. I think that Royal Caribbean's food was better than the food we had on Princess. Again, IMO.

Sandi,

Thank you for this great tool. If I may ask a question? Are you entering the information on the staterooms in ascending order of date(s)? In other words, do the staterooms have the most recent information as the last entry on the spreadsheet under their specific information... or the first? I'm just questioning whether, for example, information about there being a loose wire in the wall and causing disruptive sleep noise is a recent occurrence?... or if the loose wire has been fixed?... because some of the comments are that the room is very quiet but then the information about the wire appears.. so it brings to mind a question about the general order of the information.

If this has been answered somewhere else, I apologize in advance. I just don't know, for myself... :confused:

Jane!

Oh, this is so much fun taking this trip with you! I haven't sailed the Silhouette, but I did sail the Equinox from Rome to Ft Lauderdale.

Girl, did you take a NAP on boarding day?!? What a tremendous recovery from jet lag. You look fabulous at dinner. Or, did the Cosmopolitans help? ;)

Looking forward to all the installments. So sorry that you're feeling a bit ill. I've had that happen to me and attributed it to the letdown and physical stress of all the ship's activities, shore excursions, sleep deprivation, excitement, and air flights. So, just give yourself time and pay attention to your body's demands. AND, sit in front of your computer, very leisurely, and POST PICTURES! LOL.

Now that I have 5 minutes to catch my breath, I just wanted to say thank you. I feel so incredibly good about that dress. Sometimes when I shop, it seems like formal dresses fall into three categories: prom, mother of the bride, and clubby. I want to feel in style, yet classic. This dress just checked all the boxes.

 

Jane, my weight loss is slow, and not a lot. However, those few pounds were just what I needed to be able to zip the dress. Next up is zipping the dress up easily. At that stage, I will get it hemmed because it will lay differently than it does now.

 

The necklace, as I said this morning, is from Etsy. I love jewelry, especially when it is different. I decided to order the dress and the necklace separately, then suddenly realized that they would work perfect together. I knew I wanted something that would drop down a bit to accent the v-neck of the dress.

 

Anita, are you just about ready for your move? It sounds like everything is falling into place for you. I hope your son is handling it well.

 

I look forward to seeing our pictures, Jane!

Laurie, as everyone has said, you look stunning in the dress. :D And your necklace is a perfect accent, as Anita told you :eek: very sexy. Overall, a beautiful presentation. (watching too much Gordon Ramsay!)....

You are smart to wait to hem the dress. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly about weight loss and how it can affect the length of a dress but you know the dress magically gets longer as you get slimmer! I tripped on a dress all night long because I foolishly didn't try it on after losing some weight and had to have Anita explain the phenomenon to me!

I just wanted to add my echo to everyone's compliments. What other accessories are you considering? Let me tell you the words of wisdom I received from a sales person at a jewelry store in St Thomas: she told me that I needed to consider the weight (meaning importance) of pieces that are close together; i.e., necklaces vs earrings and bracelets vs rings. She said one piece needs to dominate and the other needs to complement. She said that both should be neither dainty nor significant. So, because the necklace is making such a statement, in HER opinion, you should have less significant earrings. And, in my mind's eye, I can see a fabulous cocktail ring on your hand and a dainty bracelet vs the other way round. Just thoughts.

Also, you have a beauitufl EARTH-y kitchen!

And I think that sums up all my thoughts about your picture! ;)

Very Pretty Blue Toesies!

Debbie, Hi. I echo Kim's words; she said them so eloquently. So sorry about your Dad. Thinking of you.

Kim. I have made such a transition with my outfits and it's really surprising to me how much my wardrobe has changed. Before CJW, my closet was primarily full of dark colors with white accents as I thought that provided me with more versatility and were good for travel. I am so happy to go into my closet now with all those bright, vibrant colors. I love most of my clothes.

I really loved my yellow top with the animal print skirt. And the other thing that I loved was just dressing in layers of color. I love the trend now to have color upon color upon color. For us, it's just a tailor made trend, don't you think?

And, still, I couldn't help but love my Venetian Lady Tee, even though she's not in my bright, vibrant color palette. AND I could have done a better job than choosing the muted bottoms to wear with her. AND I need to get more into accessories; that's for sure.

I'm finding that I'm shopping much differently than I used to; I actually think that I'm shopping more. It's not than I'm buying more, but I'm taking much more time to find what I want. And, I'm going to the store with a specific goal in mind... like before I used to go to the mall and just look around and see if there was anything there that could be used; i.e., for a shore excursion or sea day or formal night. Now, I find myself on the hunt for something very specific; like I want to find the perfect capri to wear with my Venetian Lady Tee along with the perfect accessories. So, I am much more goal oriented.

Also, I don't HAVE to buy something JUST because it's in my color palette. Sadly, that means that Chico's just doesn't have as much for me as the store used to: the clothes just aren't fitting me in the way that I want and I don't feel like they are flattering me as much as I would like. So I've matured a bit with my color palette and realize that I CAN pass items up that aren't necessarily perfect for me... <drumroll> EVEN IF they are in my color palette.

So, the cruise clothes were a little hit and miss for me. I did love my formal dresses, both the blue and the coral (although I have to admit that the coral dress and fire opals combination was showered with compliments).

Also, it was great fun to play with the nail polish colors. That was WAY more fun than I even thought it was going to be and I highly recommend having fun with polish!

So, I guess if I were going to sum up my outfit feelings, I would say that I am looking to jazz up some choices with some vibrant earrings and bracelets and fun shoes. I am slowly realizing that there are wardrobe choices in bottoms that go beyond our neutrals; I don't know why that's been so difficult for me but the other day I wore an aqua pant with a green top and I LOVED the combination. Wore my turquoise shoes and felt quite celebratory. But, I needed better earrings and a bracelet! LOL.

Tell me what you think of the outfits. I don't mind if you think that some of them were a miss rather than a hit. It's all a learning curve.

But the veggies? I did some checking online, and spinach, kale and brussell sprouts are on the list too. You know, I love those. Seriously. I know most people run at the sight of certain vegetables, but I absolutely love them, and they are part of my current scheme of things.

 

I agree that we get great support here on this thread! You are all my friends.

Laurie, just a BIG point of clarification before we leave this subject behind.

RAW vegetables in the brassica family are to be eaten rarely. What I've been told is to stay away from, for example, crudites where you have a tray of raw carrots, celery, cauliflower bits, and broccoli that you might dip in ranch dressing? That sort of thing. And, of course, if you love cabbage slaw or broccoli slaw.. then you have to be aware that on the days that you would eat that you might see an uptick on the scale and you might feel a bit more tired and that would be the reason.

I've been known to pop a piece of raw broccoli when I've cut it up for steaming, etc. and it's not like it brings me to my knees. I did, however, in a non-mindful moment eat a cup of broccoli slaw and that made me feel awful. But it was so tasty! Broccoli and the other brassicas have a lot of nutrients that are extremely nutritious.

I love veg. I'm with you all the way...

Pictodiary thoughts.

My DH is correct. He says that if I'm going to do this, I should allow myself to have more than one picture taken of each outfit. I think that's true.

And, to make the pictodiaries more interesting... what do you think we should do? I think that I have to learn to pose better... Anita does the best posing! And, rather than try to take a picture that includes hands, etc., I should just take a picture that emphasizes what I want to include, like Anita did with her nail polish.

My next cruise trip is in December 2012. It's to the Caribbean. 14-nights.

Kim is going to Africa in February! Can't wait!

Anita and I are going to Caribbean in July 2013. Family time!

And, ladies, I'm going from Honolulu through the French Polynesian Islands to Australia in October, 2013!

... because we flew with baggage fees for the first time. We thought that since we were going for just a week that we would pack with a carry-on for each of us and only one checked bag ($25)... so that's what we did. And, I began the process of wearing items over again.

Second port day, and it's just as windy and overcast. We were docked at the Royal Naval Dockyards and so we toured the Bermuda Maritime Museum. I must say that this day was full of history and just relaxing. There is a Dolphin Quest on the museum grounds and I got to sit on a spectator bench and watch the interaction with the dolphins. I spoke with a marine biologist, and just had a very nice time.

On my way off the ship this morning, a lady turned around and yelled, "Chico's!" at me when I passed her. "Well, yes...yes it is." This is my previously viewed, fabulous Venetian Lady Tee with my Sisterhood capris and my comfy Rykas. Just perfect for a leisurely, walking day in the wind and scattered clouds.

Pictodiary falling apart. I have no idea what I wore for dinner this evening. It's quite possible that I just changed my shoes and wore the same outfit! It's entirely possible; I won't lie.

Next port day and it's a half day in port as we're sailing back to Bayonne. Same weather conditions, only slightly cooler. This is a sweater layer for my embarkation day top; it's aqua with gold accents from Cache. The pants are a heavier denim from Chico's and the shoes are the familiar Walking Cradles. We just roamed around outside for a little bit because we were going to be going to sea shortly. Bermuda didn't grace us with wonderful weather, but it was a nice place to visit. I don't think that I'd go to Bermuda from Bayonne, again. It was rough business getting to that port, for us. Ultimately, for that much effort, you really want to have a longer cruise vacation.

Also, I think that September would be a better time to be in Bermuda. For the future, I wouldn't mind if Bermuda would be included in a cruise itinerary, but I wouldn't want to make it my only destination.

So today is a Sail Away Day. And, OMG, what my hair has gone through! With the wind... and that darn hair dryer... well, I just gave up!...

Familiar looking coral dress from Cache! I wore my red Helle Comfort heels.

So, last sea day. Spent like all last sea days are, with sorting and organizing and packing. Celebrity Summit chose this day to do their fabulous Brunch. So, we slept in because we were doing brunch rather than breakfast and lunch. It was spectacular and the food was so, so good. I was comfy. I just wore my bright yellow top because it's also very tiny to be placed in the overnight case. And I wore my Golden Haze linen capris from Chico's.

We did a great job packing our luggage this evening. Unlike past cruises, we packed EVERYTHING and put it outside our door. We didn't try to keep our carry on luggage with us... we just packed everything except our sleeping clothes and what we were going to wear for the next day. We kept a toiletry bag with us, as well. We just put our night clothes and the toiletry bag into the tote that Celebrity gives us and we had nothing to haul around the ship the next morning.

We went to a leisurely breakfast in Blu. We had a late departure flight from EWR, so we took our time with breakfast. We were among the last people to leave the restaurant, saying our goodbyes and thank yous to everyone. We made our way to a lounge. Our number had been called ages ago; I think we had priority disembarkation and we were among the first numbers called. We just sat in the lounge and chatted with a few people who were waiting for their numbers. We went to the appropriate bathrooms, and then we heard that all numbers had been called and everyone was requested to leave the ship. When we dinged out at security, there were only 20 people left on board. LOL.

In the luggage area, we walked up to our bags. OMG, it was fabulous! There were no other suitcases in sight. We unpacked our tote and put our night clothes and toiletries into our checked bag. One of the porters came up to us as we were arranging items and said that he thought we were the smartest people and the way we disembarked was the way to go! :D We walked up to security and just waltzed our way through; I think that they were relieved to be almost over with the job of looking at our passports!

We got into a shared ride van to EWR and were the last couple on a van that carried 10 passengers. It was just so darn easy; I tell you... SIL needs to be warned that we are all over getting off a ship in this manner! FYI, Anita! LOL.

Hmmm, I don't understand what just happened to the picture that I took of the first formal night, out on the balcony. Right now, it's showing that the picture has been moved or deleted, but I didn't do anything to cause that picture to be changed. I just took a look at the tinypic site, and it's definitely gone from the site. I have a Private setting on that website, so I have no clue what happened. I can't go back and Edit, so that's a frustration..... anyway....

This is my dinner outfit. It probably looks very familiar to everyone. Jeweled Jacket from Chico's. Golden Silky Tank from Chico's. Sand Capris from Cache. Walking Cradles shoes.

As you can see, not the best weather conditions for taking pictures. The wind! It was so windy that your hair was just blown to bits and so annoying; my hair kept getting stuck to my lip gloss! TMI?;)

So, you will probably recognize the Athleta sundress!?! And the cover up is from Chico's... many seasons ago. The shoes are a new purchase and I really, really like them. They are water shoes from Merrell. Called Cambrian Emme in Mulberry color, they have a mesh toe area where other water shoes just had open straps; this prevents larger pebbles from getting into the shoe and they turned out to be just what I needed for walking on a sandy, slightly pebbly, beach.

Tonight was such a fun evening.

Anita and I share this animal print skirt. On our recent cruise, we had good intentions of wearing this particular skirt, on the same evening, with my accessorizing to FIRE standards and her accessorizing to EARTH standards. She has a beautiful top that has the perfect necklace-adorned neckline and EARTH sandals and (if I remember) bracelets and earrings. Anyway, I just went with the current trend of being able to work with color: so I wore red Helle Comfort sandals and my bright yellow top (that everyone has seen before).

I also wore some bling in the form of fire opal earrings. These stones are amazing. They are actually a bright orange color.. hence the name fire opal... and are mined in Mexico. I love them and they certainly attract attention, LOL. I call them my "tequila" opals because DH had "enjoyed" quite a bit of tequila before he bought them for me in Cozumel. Fond memories of our day at Nachi Cocum! But that was a different cruise on a different day, so I digress. What do you think? Do you think the muted, but warm, skirt accent works for us? I know we can't wear muted next to the face... but next to the knees?...

Here's a quick synopsis of my evening:

Wonderful evening! Yes, the cutie in the brown dress won. Forgone conclusion as her partner was a member of the acapella group onboard and quite a character, in his own right. I think she's a FIRE sister. Can you imagine how she would have lit up the room if she had been wearing a bright, vibrant color? Wow. You can't really tell from this picture, but I think her skin has the FIRE quality.

Tomorrow is Bermuda. We stayed up late and we have to get up to meet a tour guide to take an island tour. We are heading to wind and rain... not wonderful touring conditions. But, we hope to make the most of it!

P.S. Every time that I think I'm doing an OK job with a pictodiary, I get home and realize that I really haven't taken as many wardrobe pictures as I needed to! It's extremely frustrating. I have always hated having my picture taken, so this is a real turn around for me... to be the subject of pictures. Grrr. I have to get over this phobia, for sure. :rolleyes:

Here are a few more pictures I took this afternoon. I have a picture of the cayenne suit. I like it.

 

I also have a picture of some suit shorts that I think may be the elusive periwinkle'ish color on our FIRE color cards. See what you think. On those same shorts I show them next to the FIRE yellows, I think they're a good match too.

 

I also took a picture of the Tide Blue suit tip, the suit shorts and an aqua top from our cruise pictodiary last January. It seemed to be a big hit with everyone and how I looked in it. I thought I would just put it in a picture for some comparison.

 

http://s1094.photobucket.com/albums/i446/joby2/newer%20suit%20pics/

Kim, I more than LIKE the cayenne suit! I LOVE it! Cayenne color is so wonderful on you. I think it must hit all the aspects that we look for: bright, clear, warm, vibrant color. Beautiful.

Now, I'm not quite as thrilled with the blue... I'm not sure that it's coming across as aqua... maybe more of an icy, sherbet-y, dare I say air-y blue? IDK. But, I tell you... the difference/contrast/comparison between you in the blue and in the cayenne... no contest!

Or, maybe, it's just that the cayenne does so much MORE for you than the blue(s). You remember when we first started our Happy Color Party efforts it was to come out with the best-of-the-best colors for each of us. We were going to continue through our colors and then do the final collage of the best of each color and then figure out the color that worked the best: I think the idea was not to have only that one color in our closet but to know how the different colors worked for us; i.e., in looking at the colors that you just posted... the blue on you is very soft and romantic and the cayenne is just HOT!

We have to get back to those color parties. OMG. They are so much work! But, they are worth the effort. And now is the time because the sun is just streaming into my house. Where's Debbie? Camping? Where's Linda? I hope she's not having to deal with issues with her Mom. Where's Anita? Packing! Where's Julie? Shopping? Cruising? Kim, when is the Africa trip? I'm so excited to be going there with you! I can hardly wait!

@Laurie. Hi, there.

My background is that I had to have goiter surgery, so the hypothyroidism became a real issue for me. Just to let you know, I spent most of my younger self with a raging fueled metabolism which meant that I could eat, literally, anything I wanted and I didn't put on fat. I wasn't fit as in muscular strength, but I was thin. I weighed 128 lbs. When I met my DH, he was fond of a few things that I didn't usually indulge in: (1) a cocktail hour, (2) restaurant dining, (3) Sunday champagne brunch, (4) steak and baked potato dinners. I immediately gained about 10 lbs., but didn't consider it a big deal.

After my goiter surgery, I had a drastic change in my body's ability to burn fuel. I went from 140 lbs to 181 lbs, and this happened very quickly. I was so tired; I have never been an exercise enthusiast and the acute tiredness that I felt just didn't allow me to have a pinch of motivation to do any form of exercise.

After trying to reduce my calorie intake, not by dieting but by eating just a load of complex carbohydrates, limited processed food intake, and lean proteins, I finally started researching an exercise program. I have been on a maintenance dosage of thyroid medication for years, but it doesn't seem to help me with my weight gain... only my feeling of acute tiredness. So, I found strength training. I really researched this exercise regimen, and I can report that the strength training stopped the weight gain. That was the first step. I managed to lose about 20 lbs by doing strength training 3x a week, about 1-1/2 hr sessions: leg presses, leg curls, leg extensions, hip adductor, hip abductor, lat pulldowns, shoulder shrugs, row, back extensions, chest press, bicep curls, tricep extensions. I did 3 sets of 10 reps at 75% max rep weights. A lot of weight. And a lot of effort. It took me about 18 months to lose the 20 lbs.

So, I went from 181 to 160, and hovered there for years and years. I began to research diet and calorie intake. I read that hypothyroidism means that your body is less efficient in burning calories and more efficient in storing calories. The general rule of thumb is that you need to reduce all the calorie formulas by 10%; in other words, rather than eating 1200 calories on average, a hypothyroid person would eat 90% of that or 1,080 calories. It's really, really tough to get all of your nutritional value numbers and to feel satisfied eating so very little.

And, then, like Anita mentioned: I found information on the phytoestrogens available in plants like soy, flax, and the brassica vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage). It's best to avoid soy altogether, especially soy oil, soy protein, soy flour. Soy lecithin isn't as bad as the other forms and is used as a thickener in a lot of processed foods. The brassicas can be eaten, as long as they are cooked. Cooking destroys the chemical nature of the vegetable that blocks thyroid uptake. That's what it's all about: the blocking of thryoid uptake by the chemicals in these foods. As soon as I found out this information, I felt so much better and the weight situation started to stabilize for me. I went from 160 lbs to about 150+ and stayed there.

It is really, really difficult to avoid and/or eliminate soy. You can't believe foods that have soy added; i.e., tuna fish, ice cream, ketchup, bread, barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce. Just make it a habit to check all labels. Anita was talking with me about some frozen yogurt treats that she had found that were very tasty; I asked her to look for soy and she couldn't believe that soy was an ingredient. It's amazing. Just get into the habit.

Of course, I have to plug aerobic exercise. After finally stablizing my weight and finally getting my diet choices under control, I felt good enough to do some aerobic exercise. Much like the sweating that you are doing in your yard work, you need to really raise your heart rate to help your body with its metabolic burn. Just to meander around and walk without sweating or get on the treadmill and spend some time reading a book isn't good enough. With a hypothyroid condition, you've got to get yourself into a good, strong, solid aerobic zone where you are working, working, working.

I can't stand aerobic exercise. But, I love music and, as it turns out, I'm a social exerciser. So I love Zumba. I can tell you that I thought I was done with the weight loss when I finally achieved the 150s, but my scale is currently hovering around 137! I'm amazed. I didn't really start Zumba to lose weight. It's a weird story, but losing weight with Zumba has really surprised me as I had totally given up on the idea that I would ever be able to lose, due to the hypothyroidism.

One last word: crash dieting and hypothryoidism is the worst combination. Because of our body's efficiency at storing being kind of high, you're just training it to do what it already does best... store fat. You can't cut your calories that much without doing yourself harm. Unfortunately, for our body type, you have to eat your calories and then burn calories through exercise. That is our prescription for healthy lifestyle. Enjoy your food. Eat healthy food and appropriate portions. Burn, baby, burn through enjoyable exercise. When you think about it.... Not so bad, really.

I've just discussed the last 18 years of my life. So I've been doing this for quite a long time. I've been exercising with Zumba for about 18 months, with some significant breaks for cruise vacations. So, what I've outlined above isn't something that I've accomplished quickly. I don't know how long you've been dealing with the hypothyroid conditon or what your medication dosage may be and how long you've been on it, but I would tell you the best steps to take: (1) get your medication dosage stabilized as evidenced by your blood work, (2) take your dosage in the proper way; i.e., an hour before you eat any food (you can have a cup of black coffee or black tea, but make sure you don't have any dairy for at least an hour as calcium will interfere with your medication's absorption), (3) eliminate soy, flax, and raw brassica vegetables. When you feel like you can handle it (although yardwork for 2-1/2 hours sounds like you aren't overly tired), then begin an aerobic exercise program. When you feel loads better, consider adding some flexibility and/or strength training (yoga, pilates, weights).

How's that for a digression? :D

Today was the day that I just had to catch up on sleep. So, we missed our breakfast in Blu, but the sleep was very welcome. Because of the lack of sleep in Newark, coupled with the excitement that being on ship always brings... and all the ship's late night activities which I can't stand to miss... I truly love all the live music and tonight was the night of the Dancing with the Stripes competition. Is everyone familiar with this? OMG, it's so much fun! I knew that this was going to be a late night.

Also, my calves were starting to give me trouble. I had been wearing a heel height shoe for a few days, and I really wanted to get into a shoe that was way, way more comfortable... so today was my most casual day of the whole cruise, actually!

The story behind this outfit has to start with the capris. Is everyone familiar with the movie, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants? Well, I have a bestest friend... we met when Anita was 4-months old :eek: ... and she has been my most dear friend through a lot of thick and thin. Anyway, she gave me these capris and I love them! They have great, great style... even though they aren't anywhere near a FIRE color, they (at least) are warm toned. They are probably Anita's color... but she's not going to get these! These pants are part of our personal Sisterhood, and I am traveling with these capris and sending pictures of me wearing them in fabulous places to my friend. This is the first trip for the capris and it was great fun to travel with them and to think of my friend while wearing them!

The shoes were a most welcome comfort on this sea day: Rykas. The top is a coral top from <drumroll> Cache. I know; it's almost a cliche that a lot of clothes are coming from Cache!

So, I thought I'd just post a picture of DH wearing his colors on this beautiful sea day. Mainly for Anita, and hope you ladies don't mind.

OK. The outfit is great, but the WATER. Isn't the water spectacular?!? :)

I love the color of deep, blue water. You'd think I'd learn to swim, wouldn't you? :rolleyes: I love being ON the water... I have to work at being IN the water.

This gives you a better idea of the effect of the coral top on my skin. Sitting in Cafe Bacio for an afternoon latte.

I love these shoes! They are Born: Myndy. As well as the turquoise, they come in a color they call melon, which looks like a golden mustard to me, and a color they call fuxia, which reminds me of a deep raspberry. I wouldn't mind enlarging my wardrobe with another pair (does that fit into the ideal of 33, however? :confused:). See, it's difficult to limit yourself when it comes to accessories! I feel like colored shoes are more like accessories than neutral shoes, kwim? The heel height is 3-1/4 inch with a platform height of 3/4-in, so not that high at all. But here's the real kicker (pun: since we're talking about shoes!).... these shoes only weigh 8 oz. :eek: They are perfect luggage-worthy shoes!

If they had gold buckles... they would be ideal. So, four-stars instead of five... because they don't have gold accents.

I didn't wear them with the blue formal dress because of the cork soles. I felt that they weren't dressy enough for formal night. If they had had different soles, I would absolutely have worn them with the blue dress!

OMG.

The hair dryer in the stateroom was terrible. It was one of those that you had to constantly push in the button, or it would turn off. And it took so much pressure to push in the button that your finger and/or thumb would just start to throb. I couldn't manage to push in the button AND direct the air flow to my hair! So, today began the beginning of the frizzies for me... and I was so unhappy!

Tonight was the first Elite Cocktail Hour in the Sky Lounge. Beautiful location. Wonderful social time.

The reason for this photo is that I wanted you to see the effect of the gold nail polish on my fingernails. As Anita mentioned in a previous post on the EARTH thread, gold acts almost like a neutral for us. I was pretty surprised at this!

Does everyone remember our Blue Color Parties?!? This dress is a direct result of the confidence from doing that particular color. Dress from Cache. (Yes, Cache has become my new favorite store. Especially with the weight loss). The purse is Michael Kors, a real find at an outlet store!

That's a very yummy Cosmo. Lipstick is Laura Mercier: Courtisane and Clover lip pencil. 30th Wedding Anniversary! I think the blue is fabulous! And, even though you can't see them, my blue toes just add that much more fun to the evening!

Tomorrow is another Sea Day, and... boy... I get casual!

I don't know which cruise line is everyone's preference, but we usually sail either Royal Caribbean or Celebrity. This was a cruise on the Celebrity Summit and, for those of you familiar, the Summit has been "sol-sticized." She just returned from dry dock. I thought that going into dry dock meant that the ship was going to be completely refurbished, but that was not the case. We were in a stateroom that had been converted to Aqua Class accommodations, which we were very familiar with after sailing on the Solstice and the Equinox.

We were startled to enter our stateroom and find the smallest balcony that we've ever seen! You live and learn. We had a fabulous cruise and our balcony didn't bother us, but (literally) you had to move the table in order to get seating for two out there. Also, I was surprised to find so much deferred maintenance in the form of rust. I know that the sea air is brutal on paint and metal surfaces, but I didn't expect to have this condition on our deck. I believe it detracts from my picture, don't you? :p

Yes, I know. The black shoes have got to go. I really need to spend some time to locate some gold shoes. Anita may be helping me out in this department. (Anita, did you know that there is a shoebox in the bottom of the Christmas tree box?)...

Since, it's my anniversary I wore this dress so that I could wear my emeralds that DH has given me, over the years. He purchased my emerald ring (birthstone) on our very first cruise, ever.. in St Thomas. The bracelet and earrings came many, many, many years later... also in St. Thomas. The necklace is a Columbian emerald that was given to me by my sweet MIL.

I'm trying to post another picture but I'm having trouble editing. So I'll go ahead and post this and then return.....

Other than the weather, the biggest issue that I had in Newark, New Jersey was the noise factor staying at the Newark Hilton Penn Station. I found the most amazing room rate for this hotel. Have you ever run across this type of situation? If I stayed for 1 night, the rate was higher than if I stayed for 2 nights. I mean the total cost of 2 nights was LESS than the cost for 1 night. The air flight was the same price no matter which day we flew so to save $100 we stayed 2 nights in Newark! :confused:

But, the problem that I had was I'm just not used to city traffic noise, especially at night. There were horns blaring. There were engines revving. There were sirens screaming. And, to add even more noise to the mix, there was a rude, inconsiderate woman to decided to play a game with her child that involved running down the hallway at 1:00am! No, I was NOT dreaming or having a nightmare. This woman was screaming her child's name (maybe playing hide-and-seek) and then there began a game of Marco Polo (so, probably hide-and-seek). I don't know if this little girl just couldn't sleep and so the woman decided to take her out in the hall so the husband could sleep, but LADY get a CLUE... you are NOT at HOME!

This is all to say that this one-and-only picture of my first Sea Day is not the best! :p AND, I haven't had my morning latte, yet. We stopped off at Cafe Bacio for a latte on our way to breakfast and DH said we should take a quick picture for the pictodiary. I can't believe that this is the only picture taken of this outfit. So, here goes:

Not the best FIRE outfit, ever. But so much fun. I love those tees from Chico's. I don't know if it's the immaturity in me, or what. But, this tee is so much fun, and I have to describe the scene, in detail, for you. The blond is sitting in a gondola, in Venice (naturally). She is wearing a blinged out headband, blingy necklace and bracelet and rings, and has bling stones running down the seam of her jeans. She's drinking a glass of red wine. On the back is the gondolier, dressed in the traditional Venetian red stripes. The gondolier is a cartoonish, long-haired dog breed... so funny! I love the "story" depicted on this tee.

OK. The colors aren't the best and I probably wouldn't have looked as tired as I was if I had been wearing a FIRE outfit. But this Sea Day is my anniversary and I'm going to dress formally this evening, so I'm just comfortable and having fun. I love the Golden Haze Chico's linen capris and I had such fun wearing the turquoise sandals. What do you think?

Here's my breakfast view, just about every day this week. So beautiful!

Margaret, you are so aware of your body and the way that it moves. I can feel the dancer's soul in you when you describe movement, etc. For me, I'm a very practical and analytical Zumba student. I usually have a mental tape that says things like... well, there's my quad muscle... and, there's my transverse abdominus getting engaged...:D

We had a sub teacher for Sunday's class. There was a girl in the front row and she is, perhaps, what you would call an energetic Zumba student. Ask me if she can make me "nuts" sometimes and I would answer that she does. At one point, she actually turned to another student and asked why we were doing this particular step. I answered... to engage our gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in a way that is far more interesting than doing calf raises or squats or lunges.

I have a history with this particular student. Anita knows this story. I think that she came into MY class while I was gone on our Spring Break cruise, so when I returned to class she was in MY spot. Actually, what happened is that I came to class on the earlier side of the start time (like I usually do) and was standing in MY spot. She came in... kind of glared at me.. and squeezed into a spot that she made that was far too close to both me and the person beside me. :confused: She kind of pushed on me all through class and I know that you all know what I mean. This happened again... and again.. and again. Uh-oh. Does everyone here know how stubborn I am? Apparently, she's pretty stubborn too... but I'm can't-budge-a-boulder stubborn, so simply no contest.

on Sunday, I caught her and a few other students discussing a 60-year old instructor. I didn't know that one of the instructors that I haven't attended a class with was 60-years old, but that's pretty cool. Anyway, they were comparing her energy level with a very bouncy Zumba instructor (Melanie, for Anita's benefit). I told them that they needed to stop being amazed about the 60-year olds because, mentally, they needed to stay prepared to do Zumba way past that age point and I could say something because that instructor and I shared a decade. So, that broke the ice, so to speak, with this young lady that has been having a territorial cold war with me.

She told me that she's an energetic exerciser and that I'm an energetic exerciser and that she's so "motivated" by my ability to exercise and look younger than I am... you know sometimes there's no good way to express a compliment about what, to some, is a touchy subject. Anyway, she said that she hoped she wasn't getting in my way. We had a good discussion. It's a packed class and, of course, she's getting in my way AND I'm getting in her way. But, realistically, there's nothing we can do about it if we want to continue coming to that very popular class. It'll be interesting to see how, if anything, things change between us now that we've introduced ourselves and are no longer strangers. When you've spoken and exchanged names, you are no longer strangers. :D

I had just about rid myself of the cruise weight, and then this weekend I blew my diet. I just blew it up big... kind of gross.. and I don't know why. I didn't really even enjoy eating the huge bag of chips that I ate like... watch my dust FAST... by the handfuls. I felt gross after eating all those potatoes and oil and salt... just gross. And I had had a super healthy dinner! Grilled salmon with a mango/avocado salsa and broccoli. Super yummy. I have got to find the equivalent of chips in a healthy snack. I'm annoyed with myself this morning. I didn't even weigh, because I really don't want to know. I'll just do my Zumba week and then weigh next weekend. :mad:

Embarkation Day continues....

Do we even need to see an ICE blue? Maybe... maybe not. But, here it is.

Is everyone familiar with the sculpture sitting in the Bayonne terminal?

Monument “To the Struggle Against World Terrorism”

Designed by Zurab Tsereteli

“When we approach the memorial and lay the flowers, we see ourselves being reflected in the tear. So you are participating. You are crying as well.” –Zurab Tsereteli

This was very moving for me to see. I had read about it, of course, but like things are when you read about them and then experience them... it's quite a bit of difference in your emotions. I wanted to go to the site of the monument, but the Port Authority wouldn't allow me to do so; I don't know what you need to do to be able to actually get onto the grounds. DH took this picture from the top deck of the Solstice.

And, we have a Sail-A-Way in full sun! Unbelievable. So much for the weather forecast being a tool that we can use...

Very casual passengers onboard for the Sail-A-Way party! Already in the party mood, obviously. The sun is shining; the band is playing; the people are dancing; and we're sailing under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge... I think my blue toes look perfect! And that Evian gets finished and a nice glass of champagne is on my horizon!

Tomorrow is a Sea Day and our first formal night.

Kim, there are a few pictures that I absolutely love. There are a few that I'm uncertain about. I know how gut wrenching it is to take swimsuit pictures. My goodness, we are all getting so very brave with our picture postings, aren't we?

So, let's do Athleta swimsuits and Bermuda, shall we? I have no problem with anyone interrupting the Bermuda pictodiary with swimsuit pictures and discussion. It's time to start having a bit of fun here on this thread, don't you think?!? :D

One of the issues that I had in packing for this trip was the weather. It kept changing and was all over the map as far as rainy, sunny, cloudy, partly cloudy, 80s, 70s, etc. I finally just gave up! The day that we were supposed to arrive in NYC, the forecast was rain for that night and the next day. It did rain during the night, but the day was sunny and warm! Just lucky, I guess.

I don't have pictures of the travel day's outfit, as you've all seen my travel day outfit many, many times before. Although you might not be seeing it again, because the jacket is fraying pretty badly on the collar. Since it is a tan neutral and not the BEST FIRE color, it's no great loss. I'm on a search for a better, more stylish, comfortable flight day outfit. This, I think, is going to take some time.

So, the pictodiary doesn't really begin with the trip into Newark and the ride into Manhattan. More, with the embarkation on the Solstice in Bayonne. For my embarkation day outfit, I did do a bit of planning and this is the result of that effort.

This picture was taken in the under-roof pool area. Anita, I don't know if you remember the sculptor for the Grand Wailea in Maui. There were some pretty funny statues there and you may remember a funny picture of your Dad standing in front of a <ahem> endowed woman in the atrium area of the hotel's lobby? Also, there was a sculpture entitled "Sleepless Nights" with the couple where the woman was blissfully asleep and the man was staring at the ceiling with his eyes wide open and his <ahem> in an unfortunate state of <ahem>? Anyway, that same artist has pieces onboard the Solstice! I don't know the name, but I thought it was fabulous that I got to stand there and have my picture taken with a sculpture made by Henry Moore!

Embarkation Day outfit: Cache capris, Cache aqua top. Toes: Deborah Lippman On The Beach. Nails: Butter London The Full Monty (terrible polish that chipped immediately. Definitely a one-night only, special occasion polish application rather than a full week's cruise attempt!). Tried to accessorize with some longer necklaces.

Meanwhile...33 items of clothing including accessories...but not including things like underwear, sleeping wear, exercise clothing (which you can only wear when you actually exercise)...for 3 months...

 

Anyone else intrigued with this idea?

Not really. But why don't you offer people 34 items of clothing for $10.50? :D

Am I being snarky? :o ;)

Here's another weird thing, maybe others can weigh in about what's typical. My Wednesday teacher talks to us a lot, in between songs, during songs to give directions, sing along, get everyone pumped. We clap along sometimes. My Saturday teacher (the sub) doesn't talk at all, she just points once in awhile. It's a very quiet class, no whooping or clapping. Very different dynamics between the two.

 

What is your class like?

When I first started Zumba, I really needed a class like your Wednesday's. Now, all of my classes are like your Saturday. When the first note sounds on the Zumba playlist, we just hit it hard for an hour. There's no real talking from the instructor as my instructors give hand cues. There may be some whooping in class, but it's more rare than usual.

We had a sub that reverted back to the breaks between songs, giving a breakdown of the moves that we were going to do, etc. I absolutely was out of my mind during that class because I couldn't believe how LONG it felt. I kept glancing at the clock and thinking that this class was never going to end. I haven't experienced those feelings in a Zumba class in quite a long time. The classes that go nonstop are just hours that fly by and I can't believe that we're doing a warm up when the time comes!

Yesterday, I did 2 hours of Zumba because an instructor that I adore was subbing for a Zumba Toning class that starts right after our regular Zumba class ends. I thought I'd just stay for the class (especially since I'm getting back into exercise from an indulgent vacation week). I had done one Zumba Toning class and thought it was terrible. Last night's class was THE BOMB! It was so MUCH FUN!

I tell you what... Zumba is so instructor dependent.

@fergusonvt: One of the most FUN Zumba instructors that I had was a guy. Unfortunately, he moved... fortunately his class was taken over by an instructor that I LOVE. I'm going to a class tonight that is being led by a guy and the reviews on him are quite the rave. So I'm excited. If you don't LOVE your instructor, get going to find one that you do. Zumba is too beneficial and too rewarding to be discouraged by a person that you can't enjoy. Don't make the mistake of thinking that guys aren't good; it's just that you have run across ONE instructor that you don't care for. Lesson learned; find another ASAP! IMO.

I tell you what...I have really been watching the food. Not so much WHAT as HOW MUCH...and I try my hardest to stop at the point of satisfied...but not stuffed. Sure I could eat more...but do I really need to? This is the hardest thing. I really like food. And there's something about eating. I like it. A LOT. LOL. So it's a challenge for me to reign myself in, so to speak.

And that's the problem with a cruise! Stopping at the point of being satisfied when there are so very many tasty food bits to try. Why is it that our bodies will allow us to continue to put in calories that we don't need? OK, I know the answer is "for our survival," etc., but I think it's an engineering flaw! LOL.

It's so interesting to be on a cruise with unfit people. Now, please, don't think that I'm being judgmental or that I'm being "catty," because what I'm really trying to do is just have a discussion. These people are eating hoards of food and talking about taking the stairs instead of the elevator... and most of them say that they don't gain on a cruise or that they gain very little.

I can tell you that there is no way that I can take a cruise and NOT gain weight. Because my lifestyle just can't be matched on a cruise. I burn about 4000+ calories a week in Zumba classes at home. I eat about 9000 calories a week in normal meals... at home. Usually my breakfast will consist of a nutritious smoothie OR a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries. I have a small tuna sandwich with veggies for lunch. I usually have a lean protein and veggies for dinner. I do have a few lattes a day and a few glasses of wine a night.

Contrast that with a cruise week! I have as much for breakfast on a cruise as I probably eat in an entire day at home. Leisurely walking around and happily dancing on a dance floor (where I certainly don't break a sweat) is just not going to duplicate my exercise time at home!

This cruise was off the charts... the food was incredible! Absolutely delicious. I didn't indulge so much that my pants wouldn't button... or that I felt unhappily stuffed. But, I didn't turn down anything that I really wanted and that included Cosmopolitans during lounge happy hours.

Result was a 4.1 lb scale increase. The first morning of being back, I dropped 1 lb. This morning, I dropped .6 lb... AND I did 2 hours of Zumba yesterday! Burned 1818 calories on the heart rate monitor! Eating normal.. for me...

the body is a wondrous machine. I know that I'll settle back into whatever the body wants to be as I settle back into my routine. Having the week off was wonderful, splendid fun and I so enjoyed myself!