Anita Latte

Zumba does that!...it works those muscles that normally don't get too much action!

You may be starting slow with Zumba, but it looks like you have a great workout week planned. Lots of variety. I'm not sure I know what the difference is for Winsor Pilates and other Pilates? I'm going to look that up...

How is it doing both Pilates and Yoga? The breathing is so different for the two...is it hard to transition? Or do you really concentrate on your breath?

I'd be very interested to know what songs you do during Zumba...I wonder if they are similar to ours...we are an English speaking class but so many of our songs are Latin with Spanish lyrics...some English...if you are familiar with the music...will you share?

I hope that Zumba does help lose the pounds...but don't be surprised if you maintain your weight for a time while your shape changes as your body composition changes...Zumba is a very good fat burning workout...even once a week...I highly recommend that you take your measurements!

I warned everyone that I like to talk...:o

My DH has a hard time getting away from work so that I can make it to Pilates right at 5:00...sometimes I'm a little late...I dislike walking into the class late...but Kelly understands that I have to wait for DH to be home with DS before I go...and she's the kind of person that encourages everyone to do whta thtey can...

So tonight...I was able to do a Pilates move that I haven't really been able to do before...which made me TOTALLY pumped up!

Kelly changed up the routine...we did a LOT of arm work tonight. I felt so strong. I mean...I was EXHAUSTED in a way...and each song...I was glad that they ended! But it was an accomplishment kind of a night...I feel like I finished the race strong!

I have a goal to remember the playlists...here goes for tonight...there were two new songs...new as in new to this thread...we have done the routines in the past...but it's been a while.

Oh My Gosh (warm up)

Jump In the Line

Loca

Moto Moto

Bon Bon

Ven A Cumbia

Bachata by Lou Bega **** NEW

Que Te Pica

Drummer Boy

(I don't know the name of this song!)**** Must ask about this one!

Feeling Good (Cool Down)

I made the sauce tonight after class. I didn't make it before...it took about 30 minutes to cook dinner altogther...the sauce was AWESOME. I used the sweet Mootopia fat free milk...and added 1/4 cup each of Romano and Parmegan cheeses. OMG...SO worth cooking.

This is what DS will be taking to school for lunch this week.

I entered all my food in my food log...

One thing I have noticed before is the calculation that this program will do for you....probably because I never entered a goal before...but after entering my goal weight...and based on losing an average of 1 pound a week...the food log will let you know what calories you can eat to maintain your current weight...what calories you need to eat to meet your weight loss goal...and it will automatically take into account any exercise entered.

I'm not thrilled with the lack of Zumba option...I know that the calorie burn is higher than any of the dance options available in the program...BUT...what can you do?

Today...I made goal calorie-wise...way under infact...with oatmeal, a flavored latte, turkey chili, veggies, lentil soup, 1/4 apple, and the turkey liguini alfredo...I ate 1521 calories...

I made goal for fiber and Vitamin A...and I came close...but did not meet goal for Vitamin C, Calcium, and Iron. Something to work on...

I still have calories I could eat... but I'm totally full...so it's time for a soak in a lovely HOT bath...

Night all!

I just bought the zumba for the wii today. So I will update you and tell you how I like it. My honeymoon is in Jan 27 and I want to lose at least 10 pounds.

Oooo....please do report back on that! I was wondering about that game...

Be sure to take your measurements! You may be surprised to not lose weight but still fit better in your clothes...and the measurements will confirm changing body composition.

I wish you well getting ready for your honeymoon.:)

It's been said over and over...you have to keep track of what you are eating...keep a dairy...log your food...whatever...just DO IT!

Once upon a time ago...as my DS used to say...I did this. I got all serious around the transition from the old year to the new...and I found a calorie logging, exercise logging website that works for me.

I think everyone has their favorite.

I didn't really shop around too much...because this one was recommended on a forum I was reading. And there are things about it that I really like...like FREE...with NO ads...and it was still FREE!

The thing that I really liked about this particular website right off the bat was the picture it gave of the nutritional value of the food that you are eating...in addition to tracking calories...fat...protein...carbs...this site tracks fiber, sodium, cholesterol, vitamins and minerals...and looking at your daily log...it makes a pretty...or not so pretty as the case may be... picture of what your nutrition looks like.

And all your values...for all the tracked items...including all those vitamins and minerals...is shown in bar graph form...the bar is either GREEN...and happy...or RED...and not so happy...showing where you need to improve your nutrition.

You can be in the RED for two reasons...depending on the tracked item...you can be OVER for things like calories, fat, sodium, etc etc...or you can be UNDER for things like fiber, calcium...etc etc.

It is a very good motivation to not only eat within a certain calorie range...but to eat WELL. And I like that.

If you are interested in checking it out...

http://www.nutrimirror.com

I also happen to like the story behind the creation of this website...which you can read for yourself if you are interested.

So this topic in on today...because I have started logging in my food today. And let me tell you...this is a PITA!! :eek:

I repeat. :eek:

I'm eating home cooked food...so I have to enter the recipes...and some of the ingredients for my recipes aren't in the data base...so I have to enter the ingredients...then add those ingredients to the recipe...THEN I finally get to log my food.

I remember this from a year ago...it really encourages you...as a food logger...to eat a lot of the same foods...because it just makes it easier to log your food.

On a bright note...I calculated that by making my own Cinnamon Dolce Lattes...nonfat, no whip, of course...and using a special milk called Mootopia from my local HEB grocery (sorry you can't get it Mom:()...I'm not only saving over $4.00...I'm saving about 70 calories! How cool is THAT?! Even in the little things...homemade is better...it's worth the effort...

I have to keep reminding myself of this fact...over and over again...because it is an effort...no doubt about it...it can feel like a Herculean effort to just keep up with the kitchen...which is full of dirty dishes calling my name as I type. But I encourage myself with these posts...almost like a journal for me...and I hope that any readers find them encouraging too.

I feel your pain...I empathize...I truly do...all this business about being healthy is a piece of work...it takes time and effort...it takes doing things that you don't really want to do...it's self discipline...it's a sacrifice today for a better tomorrow.

I made my son eat canteloupe with breakfast over the weekend. Yes, folks, I MADE him eat it. I cheered him on even...supporting him as the brain kicked in...the gag reflex wanted to start...as he valiantly tried to take little bites of that horrible...super sweet, juicy, utterly delicious...wet, soft, orange MELON. It's all in the brain...

I critiqued his methodology for eating this breakfast which consisted of cheesy scrambled eggs, homemade bread with some butter, and canteloupe...which he knew he would have to eat.

I was like, DUDE, you need to just get that melon over with...why would you leave it for last?...clear it off your plate...chase it with good bites...drink water after each bite...anything it takes to get the job done...and I literally cheered him on...told him to not pick at it like a little bird, but take a bigger bite...GET IT DONE!! Wow...all that for about 5 chucks of cantelope. :rolleyes:

In contemplating the situation...I realized that it was a fairly accurate picture of how I had also been dealing with health issues...I'll do what I WANT to do first...mmmm, cheesy eggs, homemade bread...maybe, even, SOMEHOW...what I don't want to do...MELON...will just magically GO AWAY...or be at least postponed...there's always tomorrow right?

Is there?

You have to grab hold of whatever it is that will just GET THE JOB DONE! Suck it up! Do it! If it were easy to do...everyone would be doing it. I want to be healthy...I want to achieve my goal...I know that I have to do these food logs to get the job done...I KNOW it...

So I will continue on...

My logs may be incomplete for a while...my perfectionistic self with just have to get OVER that...

I must at least get started...

My pictures may have a bunch of RED on them...

I must believe this will improve as time goes by...

Hopefully...eventually...there will be a routine in the kitchen...and perhaps the PAIN that it is to do this will actually be the motivating factor I need to make a meal plan!

Bellydancing is A LOT of fun!

I was able to take a belly dancing class about a year ago. I really enjoyed it. Of course, I believe that the instructor makes a big difference in all classes...they can make or break any class...my instructor was a young college student who had gone on a missions trip to Malaysia...she was a dancer already...and learned to belly dancer there. She came back and taught a class for a couple months at a local dance studio.

Belly dancing was NOT what I thought it would be. I guess I was picturing it as more of an aerobic activity? And I was under the illusion that I would really be working my abs...WRONG.

The most surprising thing that happened with belly dancing was how much my CALVES hurt after the first class! Have you ever learned how to hula dance? Or have someone try to teach you that has? They will tell you...it's all in the feet. It's the way you stand on your feet that gets your hips to do what they do...same with belly dancing...and so your CALVES get a totally unexpected workout.

The soreness and use all around the hips...even that traverse muscle that wraps around to your back...was expected...and yes...I could feel muscles that hadn't been used in a while after class.

The other unexpected thing was the shoulders...because you hold yourself in a very particular, upright, elegant...and dare I say slightly haughty and even sensual....kind of way. Your arms are just so...and so your shoulders also get in on the action.

I would compare belly dancing more to yoga or Pilates than anything else. It is all about muscle isolation...moving one part of your body while keeping other parts still...it requires a bit of concentration...definitely some body awareness...and one result definitely, is a greater awareness of posture after taking the class.

Don't misunderstand...you can get your heart rate up...once you figure out how to shake your booty...but I would say that there is more of a toning element involved in belly dancing than I had ever realized. If you have any interest...I would definitely recommend giving it a try!

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The good news is I can walk today! I'm not loving the fact that I live in a 2-story house...and I am more sore from doing Zumba alone than I have been for a while...but things are going well. I'm pumped to do Pilates and Zumba tonight.

Speaking of...my Mom wanted me to clarify...she attended both Pilates classes and Zumba classes...she attributes her 1 inch lose around her waist to the shock to the system of doing both...especially doing both on the same night, one right after the other. The major toning and muscle development followed by the high energy, intermittent dance. She didn't want anyone to have the impression that it was Zumba alone...so I'm clarifying.

On the food front...yesterday I made turkey chili with some leftover turkey. I have to say...if there is ever a reason to have 3 cups of leftover turkey in your house...this recipe is it! I add way more tomatoes than the recipe calls for though. AND this time around...I was running low on my chili powder and ended up supplementing with 1/2 tsp of chipolte chili powder...OMG...wonderful heat if you like it...

I also made Spiced Lentil Soup from Gordon Ramsey's Healthy Appetite Cookbook...which is a fabulous looking cookbook...I admit to being something of a cookbook junkie...I love great cookbooks...and this one is very...how can I say...bright, vibrant...lot's of pictures...fun fonts...it feels like a magazine...except that the pages are super duper thick. This link has British measurements...it's a generous 1-1/3 c of lentils and 3-1/2 cups of chicken stock for the recipe...but I just end up using the whole box of chicken stock. And FYI...my favorite brand of chicken stock is Kitchen Basics no salt added...EXCELLENT. Look around for the best price...my local Safeway store charges a fortune for it, but Target carries it for much less, and Kroger/HEB will put it on sale for less than that.

(If you happen to use that brand...add 1/8 tsp of baking powder to the stock to cook the lentils properly. I read that sometimes water can be too hard? or something, and lentils can't absorb it properly to cook right...and for some reason...this chicken stock does the same thing. So add the baking powder to help the lentils be able to absorb the water.)

I found these recipes to really be complementary to make at the same time...both requiring chopped onions and garlic...some same spices...the use of a blender...etc. Chili fit in my big pot...Lentils fit in the smaller pot. In terms of added effort/time/mess in the kitchen...not bad at ALL.

So the plan is to have the turkey chili for lunches for DH and myself...the lentil soup for our 4:00/afterwork mini-meal...

Tonight...I've decided to make a Turkey Linguini Alfredo for the main. I did this before...I use quinoa noodles...which really ups the protein and lowers the carbs...tonight, I'm going to try my hand at homemade Alfredo sauce...I'm going to use this recipe as my base...and add the cheese of my choice...which technically turns this Bechamel sauce into a Mornay sauce...which I THINK is just a fancy name for cheese sauce.

I still have a bit of left over cooked greens...so DH and I will have Flourentine Alfredo...a side salad and that's dinner. If I make the sauce when I make my lunch...it should come together quickly tonight after class.

Oh!...I wanted to share a sweet find courtesy of Mom...

http://www.vidtomp3.com

We have been doing this project of gathering all the Zumba songs. It's quite a collection. Mom found this website which has the ability to extract the mp3 file out of a you tube video. You need to find the best sounding video of the one you want...but it works really well...well enough anyway.

Mom said that you have to avoid all the advertisements on the site...and pay attention to where to click to get the job done...It took her about an hour and a half to extract all the songs from the videos of the links that I have provided in this thread.

Enjoy!

Kim...It is definitely NOT vain to post pictures when people want to see them!

I think the idea of a photo wardrobe diary is a great idea...hope you have a lot of fun on your cruise! Looking forward to seeing the photos!

Oooo...the belly dancing skirts are ESSENTIAL IMO. ;):D

It's just too fun...and as the weeks go by, you can see the way the skirt starts to fit better and better...that the space between where the skirt hangs down gets smaller and smaller...it's hard to explain, but for those of us that have wider hips...there's a bit of a gap in the jingle jangles...but it's fun to watch the gap decrease!

I see you are in GA...don't know if you are near Atlanta, but I found this place online, which happens to be in Atlanta:

http://www.missbellydance.com/Gorgeous_Belly_Dancing_Hip_Scarves_by_Miss_Belly_Dance_com_s/111.htm

They call the belly dance skirts "Hip Scarf". You don't need a super fancy one. If you go inperson to a class ever...the instructor will usually have ones that they bring for the class to wear...it's all a part of the fun. I heard there is a store here in my area that sells them for $6 each, so look around. I'm sure you could find more online, if you spent a little time cyber shopping. Maybe call some local dance studios to see where they might get theirs? Or if they sell them?

Thanks for the encouragement Paula!

Kelly walked in this morning...saying that she enjoyed yesterday's routine so much...that we would do it again. She warned this class that we would be hitting it hard today...and she said to the 3 of us that would be doing the repeat...that we would REALLY be shocking our systems by doing this particular routine two days in row!

So the good news is that I was able to confirm the playlist. I did remember it all! Woot woot. And we had time to do one extra song today...so today was...

Put It In a Love Song (Warm Up)

Jai Ho

Loca

Bon Bon

Ven A Cumbia

Cha Cha

Gasolina

La Despedida

Drop It Low

La Tortura

Hips Don't Lie 2006 World Cup

Baila Esta Cumbia by Kumbia Kings synced with Selena**** (New song)

Just the Way You Are (Cool Down)

There was a point during the workout (Gasolina) where it felt like, UGH, and felt a bit exhausting...let's face it, that song IS exhausting...but pushing past that feeling...it was like experiencing the euphoric runner's high (which I have never personally experienced)...but I understand it now...it's like your body taps into an unknown energy source and you just get ENERGIZED!!

Making it through these two work outs was just an ego boost...an "I did it!" feeling.

Paula...I hope you find that motivation!

Let me share this...when my Mom came to visit, she went to classes with me. She went to 5 classes maybe? She said, when she didn't know what to do...she would just do belly dancing like figure 8's with her hips...she lost an INCH around her waist! It doesn't take much when you get your mindset on and shake your booty.

I have unofficially dubbed this weekend the marathon weekend because it will be Zumba 3 days in a row! This should be pretty intense. And I'm interested to see how my body responds.

Kelly is my Zumba instructor...it will be so much easier to refer to her by name...

On this make-up Saturday, unusual Saturday, in the before class chit chat, Kelly lets me know that she has decided that we are going to really push it today...new year and all...it's time to shock the system...and today she is going to shock the system...

So I pushed it today too...rising to the challenge...giving it my all...

I'm hoping that I can remember what our playlist was...for future reference for a push it kind of day...

Put It In a Love Song (Warm Up)

Jai Ho

Loca

Bon Bon

Ven A Cumbia

Cha Cha

Gasolina

La Despedida

Drop It Low

La Tortura

Hips Don't Lie 2006 World Cup

Just the Way You Are (Cool Down)

I'm not sure that I have remembered every song...but I hope I have.

I LOVED the new song for the cool down. One thing that Kelly always does, it to pick cool down songs that have great words...and this one is no exception. It's the first time we did it...and we left feeling great.

Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars

The workout was AWESOME. I sense of achievement work out. I feel myself stiffening up a bit this afternoon. I'll definitely be taking a hot bath tonight.

About food...

If you can handle eating greens...I have to say, they make for GREAT breakfasts. Throw some leftovers into your scrambled eggs...top with salsa...you won't miss cheese. Canteloupe were on sale for $1 each, so we also had that. AND last night, before going to bed, I set the breadmaker so that we would have hot, fresh bread in the morning.

The meal was geared to be filling and light all at the same time...something good for myself before class and for DH who is playing in a tennis tournament this weekend...playing singles and doubles.

I got my breadmaker as a wedding gift. I've had it for 13.5 years now. It comes and goes in use...I've most often used it for making pizza dough actually...but lately, as I've tried to clean up our food, I've been putting it to good use.

More than the dreaded HFCS, my family has issues with soy. Soy and issues with thyroid do NOT mix. My Mom and my Great Aunt both had a goiter. My Mom has to take synthroid now. Soy interferes with synthroid absorption. You try to go find processed bread without soy. Good luck. The loaves are few and far between, usually baked in house, if available.

Soy has infiltrated almost every imaginable thing. My Dad had to take BBQ sauce back to the store because he didn't bother to check ingredients first on it...I mean, it's BBQ sauce...why would it have ANY soy? But it did.

For myself...soy, flax, chia seeds...these all fall into the phytoestrogin family...and use of these is not recommended when you have goiter history in your family. You need to regulate, be aware, and be deliberate when, and if, you eat them.

Soy is also a known allergen. While it has health benefits...because it can have benefits...and because it's cheap...and because it is used to make many other things (like emulsifiers)...it is being added to EVERYTHING. Ugh. This is what starts to cause a kind of allergic reaction in your body that is counter to any weight loss/fat loss progress. You get an inflammed body. Bad news.

SO. I've been making more of an effort to get out that bread machine and use it. Mine happens to have a setting on it so that I can prepare it in advance and have it be ready up to however many hours later. I find I do best when I get it done the night before. And fresh bread is a real treat.

On a side note...if you buy whole wheat flour...be sure to keep it in your fridge...it goes rancid very quickly...and for years I didn't get that the funny taste of the flour was because of age not inherent flavor. Also...I found that my family like whole wheat flour made with white wheat better than red wheat. So experiment...have fun with your food.

Homemade bread is way more filling and hearty than store bought. You end up eating so much less of homemade.

The rest of this day has been all about picking at the leftovers to eat when hungry. DH is playing tennis based on performance, so who knows what the schedule will be. DS is at a friends house this afternoon. So food is pretty relaxed, and thankfully, the fridge is stocked with left overs that are easy to eat. And the homemade bread makes everything better...

Paula: I've wondered about the Zumba DVDs...I'm glad they work for you! When you do them of course...:cool: It is much harder to get motivated to do it at home...the benefit of the class is a definite time on a definite day...and accountability.

Funny question...but do you have a belly dancing skirt? The kind with all the coins and jingle jangles? It is so much more fun to do Zumba with one of those. If you don't have one, I totally recommend getting one. Especially for a home practice...I think it would help to have that kind of "work out" uniform...gets you all ready for exercise...and the mental aspect of it all is so important.

Sandy: Report back on the Latin Heat class. It is probably very similar, if not the same, as Zumba. What I have discovered is that the instructor is the big thing. If you can find one who is inspiring, who has a way about them that speaks to you, then that alone can be such a great motivation. Be sure and take your measurements...because you may lose inches before you lose weight with Zumba/Latin Heat...and the lack of scale movement could be a downer.

ALSO...remember these words...move it to lose it! It can be quite embarassing to shake your body and see how much your body shakes when you do...but don't let yourself be embarassed...

And also...don't be surprised if the class kicks you in the you know what...I was so shocked after my first class...I just couldn't keep up...and afterward...I just crawled into bed and cried...because I did try hard...I had a bit of a Jillian image in my head...thinking that so long as I didn't pass out, puke, or die, that I would survive and end up doing more than I thought I could. And I did...and it made me cry I was so sore afterward...and also cry because emotionally, it was such a wake up call to how out of shape I was.

I guess I share because we have similar weightloss goals...and getting started can be discouraging. And we're here to encourage eachother.

My Mom said that there were Zumba classes on her recent cruises! You are sailing in March 2011, but I am not sailing until March 2012...so definitely report back on those cruise classes if they are on yours.

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And here is a story that I love to repeat...over and over again...I read it in one of those "blurb" type paragraph like stories in an issue of Self Magazine.

There was a study done on hotel housekeepers...half of the hotel's housekeepers were educated as to the fact that their jobs satisfied their daily requirement for exercise.

The result was that with no other changes in diet or lifestyle, the group that was educated as to how their jobs alone satisfy their daily exercise requirement LOST WEIGHT. The other group that did not receive the lecture/education did NOT lose weight.

The conclusion drawn was that your mental outlook and expectation makes a HUGE difference in the results of your activity. You have to go into doing exercise with the expectation that your body is getting healthier, stronger, fitter, trimmer, and that the scale is weighing in less and less. Where the mind goes...the body follows.

So keep your mind POSITIVE...do not EVER berate your performance...if you MOVED, then you LOSED...so to speak...and keep your expectations HIGH. And with that in mind...be motivated to move knowing that moving WILL bring results...so long as you believe it does.

Getting geared up for a crazy Zumba weekend...

There is a makeup class Saturday at 10:00 AM; then the normal Sunday at 9:00 AM; then the normal Monday 5:00/6:00 PM Pilates/Zumba. I'm going to give it a go to do this three days in a row! Should be quite challenging.

Mom tried going to a Zumba class today at the 24-Hour Fitness in her area. It was horrible. Mom said it wasn't Zumba, it was Dancercize, and it sounds like the instructor was having them do unreasonable moves...

Like in the Loca Shakira video...jumping in the air and kicking straight legs out to the side...no...that's not Zumba...and apparantly, the instructor just really liked jumping...she said so...and this was not good for my Mom...

Also, the instructor didn't have choreography that was the essense of the fat burn of Zumba...the intermittent intervals of high and low pace...she just got your heart rate up and kept it high for 60 minutes...Zumba is great at confusing your body...high and low heart rates...within songs...for different songs...a big mix, which throws your body into mass confusion and causes it to start burning fat stores...but this was missing from this particular instructor.

Bummer.

Meanwhile, I got the grocery shopping done today. I'm not really great with PLANNING. I'm too much of a what do I want to eat now kind of person...but I got several things that I will use to make different soups & chili...roast a chicken...etc.

And today, I made my third turkey of the season. It's just such a good deal...0.79/lb gets so much cooked turkey (I bought a 20lb one) to use in other recipes, sandwiches, leftovers...it's fabulous...and we LOVE it...and it's SO EASY...I use a disposable pan...I put cut carrots, onions, and celery in the bottom...I stuff the turkey with cut lemons, cut onions, (like big wedges for both), fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs...slather the whole bird in butter...and then following the roasting instructions by Alton Brown of the Food Network, found here. In a short amount of time, I have tons of cooked turkey.

So tonight, we had turkey, leftover mashed sweet potatoes. I don't do the shallot part of the recipe. I use the batter attachment for my stand mixer to mash the sweet potatoes. Make a lot, because there is no added dairy or fat, they are super healthy and they last in the fridge.

We also had sauteed mixed greens, which aren't my fav, but they are so healthy and CHEAP because the greens are in season right now. I use the recipe from The Balanced Plate cookbook, but I only use apple cider vinegar to dress them at the end and also add fresh cilantro for the parsley. After getting involved with Fat Flush, I learned about the liver benefit of greens...and your liver is your metabolic organ...you need a good one to burn fat...so I do what I can to get greens in our diet. We ate kale, chollards, and spinach. (I'm going to use the leftovers in the morning with scrambled eggs to do like an eggs florentine type thing).

If only DS would eat the same things we do...I'm making more of an effort to get him to eat the same colors we are eating...so he had carrots and a ceasar salad (which he randomly decided he liked a while ago, for which I am SO GLAD). Tonight, I added some raw spinach to his salad...he didn't notice. YAY!

I realized that I didn't really introduce my fitness goals or anything when I started this thread...

I did mention that I'm trying to get in shape before my 40th birthday in March 2012. I currently weigh 191 pounds according to the Wii Fit, which is more accurate than my scale. I just made it into the "overweight" section from obese...:( I'm a very strong person. I am almost 5'8" and I wear my weight well. People are shocked when they hear my weight.

I wear a size 12 pant now.

I've been able to make a major lifestyle change with Zumba, because I really love to dance...I love the style of my instructor...the ladies that attend the class are older, wonderfully supportive...so for the first time ever, I've got the exercise part of the equation covered in spades.

Pilates is just amazing...and I'm so excited to have added it to my exercise regime.

Now if I can only get the diet end of the deal down...I will probably start losing some actual weight in addition to inches...not that I am complaining. I love to cook. I hate to clean.

I grew up in California. I'm a product of a health conscious Mom. I eat healthy. I cook healthy. I don't really know how else to cook. I'm a good cook. I cook from scratch A LOT, buying minimally processed things with ingredients that are real...and I try to buy organic, especially for the list of the worst 12 offenders in produce.

In the past, I have suffered because I haven't had a good plan for the kitchen...and because of my health conscious, perfectionistic self, I don't buy easy food...and somehow my family will end up eating fast food because of it. Which is a total contradiction. So I've learned to cut myself some slack in the kitchen. But it's a process still.

I don't really enjoy planning a menu, because I like thinking about what I want to eat each day. I like choices. And the menu planning never really ends up working for me. How to deal? It's a process. But this weekend is a prime example.

I keep thinking that I need to make a menu, a plan, and stick to it. But everytime I go to do just that, I can't...HOWEVER...in the store, I make better decisions, because I can cook and have a fairly good cookbook collection...and a great library...and a good memory for the recipes...I can buy what looks good...what is cheap...what is on sale...and figure it out. But somedays are better than others at "figuring it out".

Noone seems to join in this thread...but comments are welcome at any time. I'm going to be discussing the success of my meal planning...recording Zumba songs...monitoring my weightloss progress...and also probably talking about clothes at some point. (I'm totally involved in the whole "What is your season" discussion and have gotten so much benefit from discovering my EARTHY self.) As I mentioned earlier, and as these long posts confirm, I am a talker...but I like to share. So if anyone wants to jump in...

Anyway...that's my story.

So one definite challenge that we have in our schedule is dinner Monday through Thursday nights.

My son has tennis lessons from 5:30 to 7:00 on Tuesday/Thursday. I have Pilates/Zumba from 5:00 to 7:00 on Monday/Wednesday. This isn't something that we have really figured out in a way that keeps us on the path of weightloss, fitness and health.

On Monday, I prepared chicken wings (buffalo style) to a certain point and left the recipe for how to bake them with DH. The men ate while I was gone and I ate when I got home. (For anyone interested, I cut my own wings and drumettes from full chicken wings and bake them according to the directions on the first comment on this recipe. I had the wings in the fridge and the sauce already made.)

On Tuesday, I did crock pot chicken. (Sweet and Sour Chicken from the Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook, which is fabulous btw). Before leaving for tennis, I cut up veggies to make a fast stir fry after tennis. This worked out great.

So great in fact, that DH and I decided that we should just make 7:30 our regular dinner time. This is much later than we would normally think to be okay for our family, but we could handle it. So the plan is to have a mini-meal at around 4:00, especially for DS, who is ready to eat something after coming home from school.

On Wednesday, then, we put the plan into action. DS had a planned, substantial after school snack. DH had a snack when he got home from work. And we had dinner after I got home from exercising. Left over chicken wings and another veggie stir fry.

Today, though, the prep plans didn't come together. I did good to bring DH's snack to DS's tennis lessons. (DH arrives at the club early to play with his Dad, so he go straight to tennis after work). So he wasn't starving while we watched tennis. I had a plan for dinner though, even if it was take out.

We have this great little Mexican fast food chain called Taco Cabana. DH and I have been eating there for about 20 years. We absolutely LOVE it. They make tortillas on site. Fresh salsas and picos on site. The grilled meat and chicken is so good. And during the winter, they have super yummy tasty tortilla soup.

So DH and DS went to TC's (we call it) to pick up soup, chicken fajita tacos on corn for DH and me, and beef fajita on flour for DS. I went home to make salads for all of us.

We still sat at our own table. This is somewhat novel for our family still, whose habit has been to eat in front of the TV, unfortunately.

This little thread is helpful for me to gather my thoughts and analyze how things are going.

First, the crock pot night was GREAT. Crock pot should definitely be a part of future M-Th dinners.

Second, leftovers were also a winner.

Third, SOUP was a great lighter meal for so late in the evening, especially on a colder night.

Now that we have a definite idea for WHEN dinner is supposed to be...how we are having the 4:00 mini-meal...my goal is to actually have a PLAN in place for next week. Based on what happened this week, I will create this plan tomorrow, so that I can get any necessary shopping done tomorrow, BEFORE the weekend. (I hate grocery store shopping on the weekend).

Today's research is about facial exercises.

It's sad, but true. I have droopy jowls. My DL picture is the worst highlight of the problem EVER. I was so irritated that day. I have on the most unhappiest face in the world, and as a result the droop in my jaw line is over pronounced.

I've noticed that with the decrease in fat (the weight hasn't really moved that much, but inches lost indicate a major change in fat/muscle ratio) that the jowls are smaller. I've also noticed that if I push up on my cheeks ever so slightly, the jowls completely disappear...and I have a much more youthful jawline.

I recall having stumbled upon the idea of working out your face in the past. I found someone selling their information on how to do resistance training on your face. A medal-winning body builder (woman) had designed the exercises. Unwilling to spend money on the idea, I tried checking out some books through the local library.

The books were yoga books. It was too much. I couldn't get through all the pages to get to the info that I really wanted.

So, today, with thoughts of two planned future vacations where there is sure to be a plethora of picture taking opportunities (Extended family Disney trip in June 2011 and the 40th bday cruise in March 2012), I really hope to see pictures of myself without repeating the oh so lovely DL photo.

I'm pretty please to find these things on line:

This lists 5 general overall toning exercises using your hands placed on your face to provide resistance:

http://www.fitnesshealthzone.com/exercises/facial-exercise-to-tone-the-face-muscles/#comments

The ehow videos are a combination of infomercial with one unique exercise each:

http://www.ehow.com/video_4807722_firm-jowl-facial-exercises.html

http://www.ehow.com/video_2200596_toning-anti_aging-skin-care-tips.html

http://www.ehow.com/video_4774784_firm-neck-throat-facial-exercises.html

The following youtube videos each are like a talk show format with a yoga instructor who has written a book showing how to target specific facial muscles. I included the cheeks and neck here. (Unfortunately, my library doesn't have her book).

This appears to be an excerpt from a larger video series that is made in the UK. You could exercise along to this video, which is about 5 minutes. It focuses on the muscles that are just below the chin line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZkEdPotnDE&feature=related

I love to take an evening bath. Especially on my workout nights (Monday and Wednesday). These exercises seem like just the thing to do while I am in the tub. If I can just remember what they are!

If I can get these little exercises in my memory bank, then I'm thinking that I could just whip them out here and there, whenever the thought crosses my mind.

It makes sense to me that exercising your face would make a difference. Muscles are muscles. Work them out and they get toned. Don't use them and they flab out. Since I am home alone for most of the day, I realize that I don't really smile much or use much facial expression. I think that this has contributed to my subtle but steady lack of facial tone over the past years, which became most noticeable in an unhappy (unsmiling) photograph.

One other thing I read, but don't think that I linked, was about smiling. The idea of smiling, throughout the day, and often. I can recall times when I would be smiling a lot for pictures in the past (the far distant prom nights and the somewhat distant wedding day) and my cheeks would literally ACHE. I remember my face HURTING from smiling so much. I know that I don't smile to myself all day long...but perhaps I should...perhaps I should give those cheeks that workout so that my newly toned cheeks can naturally raise my jawline!

My parents stayed with us during the holidays. My Mom came to Pilates and Zumba classes with me. It's so sad that they don't live nearby. Mom really enjoyed my instructor...she's been looking into classes in her area.

Zumba instructors are all different though. My first instructor seemed to stick with the routines that she was given and the music that she was given. My current instructor does a ton of choreography of her own. And likes to use current music as well as some from the Zumba people. She loves the more Latin sound.

I've been working on getting the songs for Zumba...Zumba class is my first experience with most of these songs...I usually listen to Christian music. Toby Mac. Skillet. Jars of Clay. Third Day. Newsboys. Etc. Etc. These are the bands I know...

It would be interesting to know if other classes are using the same music. And what other classes use. I'm going to post my list of songs here...

Warm Up Songs

Put It In a Love Song by Alicia Keys

Oh My Gosh by Usher

Songs

This is Tha Song by Hip Hop

Noche de Entierro

Jai Ho (It's from the movie Slumdog Millionaire)

Big and Chunky by Moto Moto

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iULK2PfofJo

Soy Mexicano by Barrio Zumba (this one is a fast cumbia during the verses)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu0yTk4YpsA

Zumbalicious

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsJIUspfS70

Que Te Pica by Notch

Loca by Shakira

Muscles by Diana Ross

Hips Don't Lie 2006 World Cup by Shakira (usually follows Muscles to stretch out the arms)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc9yuawNeSo&feature=fvst

La Tortura by Shakira

Drummer Boy by Debi Nova

Ven a Cumbia by El Simbolo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4o88YsPUvk&feature=related

Salsa by Slumber Party Girls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1R6HLy7ZJ0

Bon Bon by Pitbull

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYX7vScrdMM

Jump in the Line by Harry Belafonte

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpNk860pTO4

Drop it Low by Ester Dean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RxFO8DV-9A

Chiquilla by Kumbia Kings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqI6b0oJlQE

Iko Iko by Captain Jack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_8IifQjYuI

La Despedida by Daddy Yankee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdt8d1zkeXY

Cha Cha by Chelo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4XViIs3CnQ&feature=channel

Cool Down Songs

Happy by Leona Lewis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=563JiRLx9CE

Feeling Good by Michael Buble

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edwsf-8F3sI

Somewhere Over the Rainbow (we use the recorded version though)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAg9C0OQr8c

Faith by Jordin Sparks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3giLq4gsLq4

Pilates and Zumba was last night. Same instructor. We do Pilates at 5:00 and then Zumba at 6:00. I've been gradually increasing my exercise frequency since September.

I'm not a learned dancer. But we had dance in high school as a P.E. alternative. You had to try out for it. There were different levels of ability. So I was able to do dance in High School. But I've always loved to dance. Doing Zumba feels like "Mom's Night Out". I leave my men at home and enjoy myself. Which is the first time EVER that I can say that I ENJOY exercise.

Eventually, I'm going to do Zumba at home also. The classes I take are offered at the area rec center. The same instructor also teaches a drop in class at a dance studio. I like the one instructor so much, AND I just can't really afford to pay for any more classes, that the home workouts are what I'm going to add when I need to increase my exercise load.

Hence, the reason that I am collecting these Zumba songs. And also the reason why I'm interested in what songs others use. Because I wouldn't mind having a bit of fun with my own choreography if I could find some fun songs.

So if anyone wants to share what songs they do in their Zumba classes...I'd love to read it!:)

I'm turning 40 in March 2012. My mom found an outrageous deal on a Spring Break cruise in March 2012, so we booked a big family vacation for my parents, my husband, my son and myself which will be in honor of my big milestone.

It's also the goal for life change including major weightloss.

I started taking Zumba classes the week of Sept 12. I'm up to 3 Zumba classes a week and 2 Pilates classes.

I LOVE Zumba. I know it has a lot to do with my instructor, who I also love. I've had great success so far losing 4 inches around both my hips and bust and 1 inch each around each thigh. I'm totally pumped and more motivated than ever to continue getting healthy.

Anyone else out there a Zumba fan? Or doing Pilates? I thought we could exchange stories, songs, encouragement...

WARNING...I love to talk...A LOT...and I will also be using this thread as a kind of record of some other changes I have going on around the house...including, but certainly not limited to, cooking healthy homemade meals and breaking the restaurant/eating out cycle.

I hope anyone interested in these topics will join me!

Happy New Year everyone!

We're hanging out at home tonight. Think we are going to marathon the Lord of the Rings series. DH's bday is tomorrow...so we have a New Year/Birthday celebration.

Kim and everyone else...the previous resident got the VS catalog...was just looking through it. I think the color LIGNONBERRY is the fire purple everyone is looking for, judging the best I can from the pictures. Definitely worth checking out. I haven't seen in person...so I'm not reporting a guarantee, just a good guess. There are several styles in knits to choose from and they are all on sale for $12.50 right now. The sweaters are slightly more, but also on sale.

Kim...I think one of the shirts would be great with your new skirt. OR also, the cardigan with more of an orange kind of tank/cami underneath?

You don't HAVE to wear tights, but tights are definitely in fashion right now, with a ton of selection. Target has a great selection actually. I would go for an orange color myself...UNLESS you find a great matching orange shirt and want the tights to be the accent color, then I would go for purple tights, just for fun.

ALSO...if anyone is looking to outfit their New Year's resolutions...Mom and I went shopping at our local Academy store while she was still here. Did I mention this already? Anyway, the current Nike lineup has a couple of great Fire colors. I checked out the colors online and you totally can't tell. They look muted online, which they aren't. I'm pretty sure Mom got the Nike Dedication bar/top...the coral color (which online is called Light Wild Mango) and the red/violet/purple color (Red Plum) are both great Fire colors in work out clothes. The current line of Under Armour is all Ice/Air. Didn't see the current Puma in the store, but online, it looks pretty good. I would check out that section too if you were shopping in person.

That's a great skirt! I love the style with the wide banded waist and the slit or whatever that detail is.

Judging from the photos of the skirt posted with the color cards...I'd say that this blends into your color cards very well. It does appear to be a bit toned down for Fire BUT perhaps a bit turned up for Earth...I think it blends and would work very well with a brighter shirt that is more Fire-like, especially with the accent colors of yellow and purple.

I think that you could put together an outfit a lot like the one in the InStyle magazine. Find a great yellow or purple shirt that picks up on the accent color...and accessorize like the magazine outfit. I think it would be fabulous. I think the orange will take on the qualities of a neutral, which I think orange is very good at doing.

Great find!

Kim!! You are so funny with your eggnog crack! LOL.

I think both browns look fine. They both read warm on our screens. For Fire, I think I like the one with the gold accents more...the second one looks a bit more cloudy? in tone...I'm sure that it would work okay, but I would go for number one between the two of them. On my screen, the first one ends up looking more like that traveler's fabric at Chico's. A bit more clear and shiny, which I think makes it a better Fire brown. Because seriously, brown is a good color for both Fire and Earth, and only slight differences are going to make them more appropriate for one than the other.

Dyan...that's so cool that you could scan in those pages!

I hope that everyone had a great Christmas day!

Mom and I headed out to the mall while our men watched football today. I couldn't believe how busy our local mall was! It was INSANE. The parking lot was totally full, people were parking on the grass all around...totally crazy.

Anyway...wanted to share that the ruffled coat y'all admired on Mom was on the clearance/sale rack in Chico's in our local store. It is called something Carella. But I noted that it came in the tan color and also a cream/whitish kind of color. Warning...the tan color looks like it has a bit of a pinkish cast in some light, but overall it reads warm and blends so nicely with the Fire colors.

After some deliberation, we believe that Honeydew is not so wonderful for Fire. Glow Stick is a great green. We think Marcella is a pretty good purple color for Fire. Wild Grape is NOT. Daiquiri is a great Fire color. Fig is earth. Deep Emerald was beautiful on Mom. That's all I can remember right now...

On another note...there isn't a single photo of Mom in her green formal dress!! Can you believe that? I was able to find a picture of it online though. Mom has a shorter torso...the dress hits her right above the knee.

Also, we didn't share earlier...but we found another Gianni Bini bargain dress. The color is Hibiscus. The style is a one shouldered style. I believe the style is the same as this yellow one...but the color is a very odd coral color. I say it's odd because it is more toward red on the spectrum than toward orange. It's really pretty. If you can find it on your clearance rack at Dillards, it's a great Fire dress. Mom picked it up for less than $45!! Woot woot!!

And on a completely different note...I found a formal dress that I would love to get but don't quite fit into yet at Forever 21...for any other Earth's out there reading this thread...it's an amazing greenish gold color.

Mom leaves on Tuesday. :( If anyone has some specific questions, fire away. We haven't posted any other new pictures, again, because nothing looks terribly new. Dad didn't take ANY people photos on the TA cruise. :eek:

Dyan...CONGRATS!!! *insert fanfare here* What an achievement!

Ladies...Mom got the tan/gold overshirt (with the ruffled edge) from Chico's in October. She looked on the website and did not find it there. I don't know if it would still be lurking in any stores.

We are continuing to look at pictures...there isn't too much new in the way of Mom's wardrobe to post...as she said before, she is continuing to wear the same mix of clothes that we posted, throwing in a new base layer (but you can't see it!!). So this is a serious take-away to file in your memory bank...take a few photos without your overcoat/jacket for variety! LOL.

There are some very beautiful travel shots of the trip...we are a bit gun shy on posting strictly travel only photos though...we don't want to confuse this thread...if we find another appropriate place to post them, we will let you know where they are.

Back on topic...we were in Barnes & Noble today. I was leafing through the current issue of InStyle magazine. It's the one with Gweneth Paltrow on the cover. If you can, I recommend that you flip through it for two photos.

1. Check out Gweneth in the Fire purple color in the picture of her on one of the index pages. Gweneth is a Fire, identified on the collage picture grouping on Curt's blog. All the accessories are gold. She looks fabulous. And you can get a great idea of one Fire purple in that photo.

2. Check out the "your look" section, I think it's called. Under the heading "embrace brights" there is an outfit that shows what they call a tangerine colored shirt with a plum colored shirt. Both are Fire colors. They show how it works as an outfit pairing a structured hand bag (in a kind of brown that mimics an orange kind of color brown) and wood accessories (the bracelets and accents on the shoes). Very cool to see an outfit that is ALL FIRE in a big way and not a great Fire colored shirt paired with tan or brown or some other more neutral color.

More photos and reports on fashion to come! Hope everyone is keeping stress-free as Christmas day approaches.:)

In the interest of continuing to provide educational, topic appropriate information...I'd like to share my observations based on the pictures that are included in this post...

Watch what happens with this grouping of photos...I want to show you the influence that the background in a photograph can have on your appearance in the photograph...

Mom is wearing the black fleece vest...not her color...but the denim overcoat IS her color...

In this first photo...Mom is against a background that is NOT her color...it's not a bad photo...the denim overcoat is helping...but it isn't a GREAT photo...

NOW...Mom can be wearing the same outfit, virtually in the same location...and put her smiling face next to a gold background...and she looks much, much better...you can see the gold background blending in with her hair color and overall, her skin tone is looking healthier...

In this photo, Mom is wearing her colors...is against a background that is not her colors, but it doesn't matter that the background isn't...the background recedes into the background and she is looking great...(it would be better if the moment caught wasn't that moment where you are on your way to smiling...but what can you do?)

This last photo is the redemption that I promised in the last post...arriving in Rome, much warmer than Venice...Mom loses the Denim layer and is only in the bright, green shirt and milk chocolate jacket...the background is totally FIRE...and she looks FABULOUS...

The take away here...if by circumstances you have to wear a color that isn't your best...like a cruise formal, and because of budget or style or fit or whatever, you choose a color outside your palette...and if you have a choice of backgrounds for your photo...then choose the background that best matches your color...it will make a big difference in the photo...

don't worry though...if you ARE wearing your colors and are stuck taking a picture with a background that doesn't match...you will still look good...like the above photo of Mom wearing her colors on an Ice background...or the following photo of Dad wearing his ICE colors on a FIRE background.

The other take away for those of you lurking who haven't figured out their colors yet...depending on what you are wearing and what the background is and how both compare to what your best colors are...you can get a false diagnosis from photographs...you need to pick a neutral background for your diagnostic pictures so the background doesn't influence the diagnosis...

Here's the situation...You are going on a transatlantic cruise, westbound. You originate in Italy...you are flying to Italy...you want to spend some time seeing the sights in Italy before getting on the ship...you will be traveling for 28 days total...how do you pack?

This is what Mom and Dad did...

4 suitcases total...

2...20" carry-ons

2...larger checked-baggage suitcases

The larger checked baggage has cruisewear...

The smaller 20" carry-ons are packed for fun in Venice before the cruise.

We were also very concerned with what would happen if the airline misplaced one of our bags, so we did the 50/50 packing idea which meant that both of the larger suitcases had clothes for each of us. It made me pack a few more pants than I might have done, but the peace of mind was worth it. Thankfully, we ended up having no problems and all of our luggage arrived. One of the larger suitcases held our formal wear and definitely cruise-specific clothes, like bathing suits; the other larger suitcase we were going to open for the days we would be in Rome after returning from Venice. In answer to your anticipated question, yes I was really looking forward to more clothing options after the 4 days in Venice!

The hotel in Rome where Mom and Dad landed stored their 2 larger sized suitcases while they traveled to Venice...Mom and Dad were coming back to that same hotel for a few days before the cruise departed from the port close to Rome.

So...you need to pack what you need in Venice for 4 days into a 20" carry-on...

Travel writers have written that Venice is one of those cities that everyone feels they've already visited because of the amount of photographs and paintings that they've viewed... and then the city just completely "blows you away" once you arrive. This is exactly the way I felt. Venice is spectacular and so hard to describe because not only is it a visual experience, but also very auditory with so many languages being spoken and full of the scents of the water, bakeries, flowers. It's just stunning.

It's also true that it's easy to get lost in Venice. People don't give directions by addresses but by landmarks, so they'll tell you to head to the Ferrari Store and make a left and go down an alley and turn right... that sort of thing. It's also very difficult, with travel pictures, to see any distinguishing wardrobe pieces from one day to the next... because it seems that all the pictures are taken with outerwear. After getting home with these pictures, I'm going to make more of an effort to take some pictures without jackets, etc., just to be able to see some variance from one day to the next!

Venice was chilly...so the idea behind Mom's wardrobe was to layer for warmth...you can't be shy about wearing your clothing mulitple times...the base layer could be changed with the outer layers (denim, ruffled, milk chocolate) being used in various ways to create new looks...

Mom's Venice Wardrobe (everything purchased at Chico's):

Green Base Layer Shirt

Off-White Shirt Base Layer

Dark Chocolate Travelers Shirt

Denim Shirt/Overshirt

Ruffled Tan/Golden Overshirt

Milk Chocolate Jacket

Chocolate Platinum Slim Leg Jean

Jeggings

Thursday (Travel Day from Rome to Venice):

Dark Chocolate Travelers Shirt

Ruffled Overshirt

Jeggings

Friday:

Patterned Shirt Base Layer

Fleece Vest (borrowed from hubby)

Denim Overshirt

Chocolate Platinum Slim Leg Jean (Chico's)

OK...so it was much colder in Venice than Mom was quite prepared for...when they headed out that morning, Mom grabbed Dad's fleece vest for a middle layer...Dad is Ice so the black fleece vest was not the ideal color, BUT it was WARM.

Standing on the terrace of St. Mark's Basicilica with San Marco Square in the background. Beautiful and Cold!

Later...after it warmed up...

Lose the vest...

Lost in Venice... but I didn't care! Tried to find the Doge Palace and just couldn't get the job done. BUT, we ended up having lunch at a great restaurant and got into conversation with a table near us who told us how to get to the Doge Palace. We were so grateful! Cruise ships are great training for getting into conversation with strangers. KWIM? Going into the ship's buffet you learn that it's appropriate to sit down at a table with complete strangers and share a meal. If it looks like the people next to me are approachable, I always end up in conversation. Hey, why confine that idea to a cruise ship? I do the same thing on land and I've met some great, wonderful, warm strangers that way! Even in Europe, where people tend to be in close proximity but concentrate on their own table conversations rather than even glancing around. I think I've startled a few people, LOL.

Later...after it cools down again...

Grab the Ruffled Overshirt...

I really like this outfit. I felt great this evening (and that was even before the wine!). Loved the color of my hair. The waiters in the restaurants kept approaching me speaking French, which I thought was very funny! The menus in Venice were printed in Italian, English, German, and French and they kept assuming that I was French! LOL. Anita tells me that she thinks it's because I was wearing layers rather than the typical American clothing style of a hoodie-sweatshirt. I think if I was "into" scarves that I would have looked more European. But, it was fun... I did do a fabulous Italian language course before we left and knew just enough Italian to really help us out in various situations. No, you don't need to know Italian in order to visit Italy and enjoy it tremendously. But, if you really want to have an extraordinary visit, I would recommend learning just a bit of Italian. Besides, it's fun!

Saturday:

Green Base Layer

Ruffled Overshirt

Milk Chocolate Jacket

Chocolate Platinum Slim Leg Jean

So Cold! We went to the top of the tower in San Marco Square which gave us extraordinary 360-degree views of Venice. Just outstanding!

Sunday (Travel Day from Venice to Rome)

Green Base Layer

Denim Overshirt

Milk Chocolate Jacket

Jeggings

This is what Mom grabbed to wear in the morning...the Denim layer was removed in Rome (you can see in next post)...

EEW... I don't like this picture. It's early and I'm makeup challenged. We're on the water taxi going to the Venice train station for our trip back to Rome. We stayed up as late as possible the night before and slept as long as we could before checking out of our hotel. It's going to be about a 4 hour train ride and I'm still sleepy and a bit tired.

There's more fun to be had with the wardrobe in Venice...but this post is the overview on what to pack in a 20" carryon for 4 days in Venice and how what you pack translates into outfits each day...

Hello Ladies...

I will be making my photo selections from this vast array of possibilities. I will be commenting on Mom's outfits.

And I will be adding travel notes...Pam

This post will be focused on that all important decision...what to wear when traveling for an overnight, international flight. Without further ado...

Welcome to Rome...this is travel/arrival day in Italy. Flying for hours from Arizona to Italy...this is what Mom wore for traveling...

The whole outfit is Chico's. Chosen for comfort and ease of travel. The outfit is:

Milk chocolate outerwear...

"Chocolate Chip" Travelers long-sleeved shirt...

Jeggings...

Dansko shoes...

Pac-Safe traveling messenger style bag in dark brown...

Captured here using a guide map app on her iPod, you can see the outfit in Rome...you can just see the shirt peeking out underneath her jacket.

Here I am. What happened to me that day was that I had to get up at 4:30am to head to the airport. I was supposed to arrive early because I had a one-way ticket and the airline's website wouldn't let me check in online. When I called to find out why, they told me that I would have to be there early because I would have to answer some serious security questions. Well, I didn't. Checkin took me all of 5 minutes, but we then had so much preflight time!

We went from Phoenix Sky Harbor to Washington Dulles Airport. We arrived at noon-ish, Washington, DC time and decided to try to get into a different time zone by having lunch (which included a glass of wine to help us with the adrenaline and trying to sleep on the plane idea). After a 2-hour layover, we boarded the flight to Rome, which would arrive at 8:30am the next day.

My effort with the clothes was to wear something that would serve a few purposes: be comfortable on the plane and allow me to be presentable to others on my travel day because I wouldn't be able to get into other clothing until our hotel room would be available for check in. So, after a lot of thought, I settled on the elastic waistband jeggings and the travelers' fabric top. Since I didn't sleep well on the plane, you can imagine how I felt on the first day.

Mom wanted to be sure that I mentioned that this IS travel day! She is seriously jet lagged...This is the Trevi fountain...

Here we are grabbing a bite to eat...and having to exercise the Italian lessons on a menu...while jet lagged...LOL!...Mom can tell a great story about that car in the background...as I am not the traveler, I will not tell it...here you can see the dark chocolate colored Traveler's shirt. This color, combined with the gold accents, and set in the oh-so complementary to FIRE setting (creams, golds, warm green), she can look great all the while posing appropriately for the moment...LOL.

OK. So, look at the car in the background! For those who haven't been in Rome, one of the most amazing things about the area is the traffic and the drivers. I have to mention that the shuttle driver from the airport to the Rome historic centre was frightening... very, very frightening. He rolled into the car behind us and just gave a, ahem, Roman gesture to the driver who laid on his horn at the bump. He also slammed the shuttle into a building when he was backing up because he tried to go down a street that was too small for his car AND the mirrors that were semi-attached (probably because of his prior driving attempts).

Anyway, sitting at a sidewalk cafe is quite an experience. You share the area with pedestrians, other cafe patrons, and CARS!! They simply drive wherever there is the remotest possibility of getting through. While we were sitting at the cafe, not only several cars but also one truck came roaring by. No one paid the slightest attention to the cars, but when the truck came rumbling by, a beautiful young woman looked startled, said "Mama Mia!" and slammed her body into the table, making herself as small as possible, and ducked! The truck rumbled by while she was leaning over the table, as the side mirrors passed over her head. After the truck was beyond her, she just scooted her chair back to its previous position and kept reading the menu. Very funny. Notice I am sitting closer to the wall.

Because I want to share some "mood" photos of Rome...I include this one of a piazza...I love this photo...there are spots of FIRE colors here...the orange, the turquoise...and you can see how Mom's outfit totally goes with these colors...the jeggings and the outerwear are great FIRE neutrals...

On another note...I happen to think that this is a pretty stylin' travel outfit...Mom looks totally at home here in the piazza...even as she is totally dressed for comfort in stylin' leggings and traveler's knit...

Here we are at the Terrace Bar...the rooftop hotel bar for the hotel clients only. The sun is setting and Mom is looking fabulous in the warm glow of the evening. And DAD, in his ICE colors is also looking handsome...

Our joint report will continue...

Tomorrow we're going to Venice by train. We stayed in Rome for the first travel day to help us get over our jet lag. Also, because we're taking a cruise, we're going to leave our bigger suitcases at the hotel and just travel to Venice with our carryon luggage. A few outfits... definitely layers because of the weather and the effort to travel as light as possible in the luggage, not only for having to lug the suitcases on the train (and water taxi!) but also for the weight of the luggage.

Kim...I'm so sorry to read about Caico. Prayers for you and your family.

I'm sitting here, watching Elf with the family (which I've seen A LOT because we think it's hilarious and Mom has never seen it before...), looking through the first memory card worth of pictures, trying to figure out how to start posting...there are SO MANY pictures!!

Knowing that you would like a little lighthearted reading, I'll start posting...my end will probably be more about the clothes...I'll get Mom to post a bit on a few travel photos to add to the story...

Anita,

 

I hoped you might post. I always like to read others questions and hopefully learn from them.

 

I just wouldn't have guessed that any of those would be good Fire matches :o

 

I did learn something else though-- if the colors are pictured with mostly browns/tans or grays that that would tip the scale in either the warms or the cools :)

I don't really think any of them ARE good Fire colors...but you never know! :rolleyes: And I have to make allowances for the shortfalls of online shopping.

One of the best things that has happened in the world of shopping is the availability of so much online. It's just important for everyone to understand return policies! :D There is a cost/benefit to ALL shopping...whereas the cost of gas/time is for real life, the potential for returns and time associated is the cost for online shopping. The more we compare notes though, I think the more we can reduce the potential for returns...

One bummer about VS is that I don't think one of us could head down to the mall to check out the colors...so much is catalog or online only for their non-lingerie clothing. Correct me if I'm wrong...the mall is one exit down the way...we would gladly head on over there next week and test all the colors! If it works for Mom, FIRE, for me, EARTH, for Dad, ICE, and if none of us...AIR! We are a FIERCE shopping team!

As an example, which of these colors are fire?

http://www.victoriassecret.com/ss/Satellite?ProductID=1265343430065&c=Page&cid=1287140200422&pagename=vsdWrapper

My guesses are

Enchanting pink, Aquarium,deep aubergine and maybe the Heather?

Jenny, we've talked about this before...the difficult thing about trying to identify colors online, and especially when manufacturer's don't take pictures of the garment in the different colors.

When you click on the different colors, the shirt changes to a color that has been selected with computer software. Basically, you have a graphic designer sitting in front of a computer with a color selection tool, the designer selects a color that they think represents the color of the item for sale as best they can, but there is no guarantee that the color represented is an accurate representation of the actual color IRL.

The best photo to use to try to analyze the colors in the one where they have the shirts stacked up.

I hate to say this...but most often, what I have found is that the color options for most manufacturers tend to stay on either the warm or the cool side. The exceptions to this are black and white. But if you see gray in the color mix, then most often the colors that are also available are cool colors. If you see browns/tans in the color mix, then most often the colors are warm. If you see the whole spectrum of color, like LLBean for instance, then this doesn't apply...because they are offering a true variety...

I think that it has to do with merchandising...the grouping of colors in such a way gives the perception of variety while still having the individual colors look pretty good. Mix up all the color temperatures and you get colors that don't look as good...

Given that...and taking a look at how this photo blends fairly well...my guess is that all of these colors are cool colors. The colors MAY be warm (there is such a thing as warm gray...). The blue, purple, and magenta (bottom color) would be FIRE if any were IRL, but you'd have to see them IRL to be sure.

and what about this one?

http://www.victoriassecret.com/ss/Satellite?ProductID=1288282665475&c=Page&cid=1287140176190&pagename=vsdWrapper

Just reporting what my screen sees...my FIRE guesses would be Deep Aubergine (it's the photo color and I think it is blending with the brownish color in the background) and Navy, surprisingly, which looks quite warm in the swatch, especially compared to the Pale Iris next door. I would chance those two.

I really like this dress and i think maybe the Aquarium, Cobalt, Violet rose, and Chocolate are fire?

 

http://www.victoriassecret.com/ss/Satellite?ProductID=1265347757242&c=Page&cid=1287140172982&pagename=vsdWrapper

That is a beautiful neckline! I agree with your maybe colors. The color swatch for the Deep Aubergine on this one looks really muted. It is a different fabric than the other shirt, so perhaps it took the color differently? Or it's a different lot. The dress should be super flattering on...matte jersey is a great draping fabric. Being a polyester, it should travel like a dream too.

I don't know that I was much help...except to say that I think your guesses are good guesses for online shopping. I'd love to hear what everyone else sees. Monitors vary...