It Is Never Too Early

There are only 102 days until Christmas!  I cannot believe how quickly the year has flown by.  It seems that retailers are displaying Christmas items earlier and earlier.  It is only the middle of September and the shelves are stocked with Christmas items.  The retailers seem to skip over Halloween and Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas decor.

On that note, it is never too early to start your Christmas shopping.  With the struggling economy, retailers are holding more sales and offering more coupons, which is a great time to start your Christmas shopping.

With so many people to buy for, I have put a limit on how much to spend on each person. I search the Internet for my favorite stores to find out if they are offering any sales and/or coupons. 

I hope to be finished with my Christmas shopping by Thanksgiving.  I have ideas for people, but for others, they are very difficult to buy for, like my husband.  However, this year with gifts, I have become very creative, which also helps to cut down the cost. 

Just remember that it is never too early to start your Christmas shopping.  Be creative with your purchases and try to never buy anything at full price.  You will feel a lot better knowing that your holiday shopping is complete and you can enjoy everything that comes with the holidays.

Happy shopping!

Atkins, Jenny Craig, and South Beach...O My!

Having the perfect body would be ideal, but one cannot get everything that they want.  However, if you are unhappy with your body, there are healthy alternatives to get into shape.  The most important is to be happy and healthy, as the worst thing you can do to your body is deprive it of food and the necessary nutrients.

There are many different types of diets available, in order to help you lose weight.  Dieting is not  a quick fix, as a lot of work is required from counting calories to working out.  An unhealthy alternative to losing weight would be to take diet pills, but that is something that doctors do not recommend.

Personally, I have taken part in the South Beach Diet, which is a three phase diet plan.  Phase 1 is two weeks long, with no carbs.  In the next two phases, carbs are reintroduced, but in moderation.  South Beach Diet's website offers shopping lists, recipes and tips to help you move through the three phases. With this diet and any others, exercise is a key element to achieving your weight loss goals.

Dining out at your favorite restaurant or grabbing a few drinks with friends can cause you to get off track, however there are ways to still enjoy it all, with sticking with your diet plan.  Allow yourself one cheat day a week, where you can indulge into something that may go against your diet, however do not eat and drink everything in sight!

Outdoor activities is a great way to burn calories and enjoy some fresh air.  Many household chores like mowing the yard or cleaning the house is another good way to work out.

 If you cannot afford a monthly gym membership, you can purchase a video game or DVD.  Since John has a Playstation 3, I work out using EA Sports Active 2 and Zumba!  These 'games' are available on all gaming counsels.

When you decide to diet, research all of your options and find the best one for you.  Ask friends if they have used any of the diets and find out what their experience was with each of them.  If possible, find a friend or relative, who will take part in dieting with you, as it is always good to have someone by your side motivating you.

End of Summer, beginning of Fall

Labor Day is right around the corner, which marks the end of summer. Wearing white after Labor Day is considered taboo, however it all depends on where you live. When I lived in Florida, everyone wore white, but now that I live up north, I will not be wearing white after Monday.

September 23 marks the first day of fall, my favorite time of the year!  With the change of seasons, come with the change of weather.  There is nothing like the cool crisp fall air.  Along with the change of weather, comes with the change of wardrobe.   The shorts and tank tops will be put away and the jeans, sweaters and jeans will be put back into the closet. 

Living up north, there are many fall related activities to take part in.  There are corn mazes, hay rides, pumpkin patches and much more!  Ever since living in Florida, I also got my pumpkin from the grocery store, however this time around I will be going to the pumpkin patch to pick out my very own pumpkin!

The colors of red, orange and yellow just say "fall".  Since becoming a homeowner, I have decorated for every holiday and season.  Since this will be my first fall in Annapolis, I had a lot of fun purchasing fall decor for the home.  Even though it is the beginning of September, several retail stores have had fall decor out.  Recently, I went to Kohls and purchased a table cloth, hurricane globe, and pumpkin scented candles.  As excited as I am, I am patiently waiting for the first official day of autumn to decorate the house!