Do you watch the bachelor? I sure do. And I love it. I think I've watched all but a few seasons since it first started.  What can I say. I'm a hopeless romantic.  The idea of meeting someone falling in love and getting married has always been something I thought totally possible.  Plus this show seriously cracks me up.  I wish it was on every single night.  Well, maybe that's not true. It wouldn't be as fun to watch if it was on all the time, but that's not the point. The point is that I love it.  Last night my sister came over to watch it with me. Her husband is in school right now and is working at the same time.  He is super busy and gone all night long (sorry sissy) so she came over to watch the bachelor with Dave and I. Yes Dave watches the bachelor.  It wasn't always this way.  The first time he saw me turn on the show he was disgusted. He called it filth and scum and couldn't believe I wanted to watch it.  After a few episodes he would peak his head around the corner to see who was talking or what was going on.  Pretty soon he was sitting right next to me loving every second.  This is the 3rd year Dave has religiously watched the Bachelor and I'm happy to share it with him. 

Jac came over and we cuddled on the couch and enjoyed the show.  Here are some of my thoughts…

Jake, although you are handsome, and have a great body…I would not date you in a million years. You are a cheese ball and a dofus a dork. Don't worry..I'm sure you'll find the right gal.  PS. Was it your idea for the producers to play Chicago's "On the Wings of Love" song every 5 seconds throughout each episode? I know it was you Jake, you little cheese ball.

 He is sweet and nice but makes me want to gag at the same time…are you feeling me?  Dave always sticks up for Jake but trust me…if Dave was a girl, he would feel the same way. He's just way too OVER the top…making the show that much better!!

gossipy gossip

Michelle (AKA crazy girl) go home already. I'm worried you might flip a switch and turn into a psycho killer from a disturbing life time original movie. Stop crying, stop being so dramatic. Go home.

Ashley (the one who got kicked off) you're so happy and bubbly and made me laugh every time you talked but maybe you got kicked off because when you talk you forget to blink and you end up making really funny faces. Ps.. I didn't like your flight attendent dress either (sorry).

Rozlyn…you're lame. 

Ok that is enough for bashing for now. I don't want to spoil it for those of you who didn't watch it last night.  I do have a few favorites though…. Here they are

Both these girls seem really nice and genuine.  They aren't cocky or over confident and seem to really want to be there to "find love". And also…Tenley, your arms rock can you say definition?

Speaking of finding love. Want to hear a love story? Once a upon a time back in 2006 my friend called me and told me she was going to audition for the Bachelor Rome. They were doing auditions right close to where we lived and I thought…ROME, my favorite show, what the heck!  We got ready and headed over to the auditions.  There were hundreds of girls there. It was really funny.  We filled out the paper work and waited for our name to get called. An hour passed and then close to two. I had had enough. I told my friends I was out and was headed out the door.  On the way out one of the staff members stopped me and asked me where I was going. I told her I had to go and couldn't wait for my name to be called. She gave me her email and asked me to send her a picture and tell her a little about myself.  The next day I sent her a picture and told her who I was and why I wanted to be on the show. 

I kind of forgot about the whole thing when the next day I got a call from the show. They asked me to come back to SLC and do an on camera interview.  WHAT?! I was super excited and laughing my head off at the same time.  I found something cute to wear and headed down town.  They had me meet at a nice hotel and had me fill out paper work in the lobby.  After 30 or 40 minutes they escorted me up to a hotel suite.  I waited in the suite and was then ushered into another room with a camera.  I sat in the corner with the camera facing me and was asked to tell a little about myself.  The interview was funny and kinda fun and went as good as it could have gone.  They told me if they were interested in me they'd call me in a few days and bring me in for the next round of interviews in LA.  I went home knowing that I would not get a call back, but super excited that I had even been a part of the show up until that point. 

The next day I got a call from the same girl and she wanted me to fly to LA to do another on camera interview. This was the last step. They had narrowed it down to 50 girls from dozens of states, and at the end of the LA interviews, they would narrow it down to the 25 girls to be on the show. I had made it that far??? I was floored! They told me I had to keep it secret. I could not discuss this with family or friends and I would be leaving that evening to LA.  The whole process was super secretive. I was told that when I got off the plane in LA I would have a voicemail directing me where to go.  Outside the airport there was a young man waiting to pick me up.  We drove and talked but not much about anything.  He was just the hired help and was not able to discuss any details.  We pulled up to a fancy hotel in Hollywood where someone was waiting for me at the front door.  I got checked in and was escorted to my room and told that I was under NO circumstances to leave my room without a staff member by my side.  It was made clear that if I left, used the phone, or had any interaction with the outside world, I would be sent home.

They gave me money for food and in room movies and I layed around all night doing nothing.  The next morning I was contacted via phone and told to be ready in a few hours.  I obviously had met with friends and family before hand and had picked out several cute items.  As if I wouldn't tell anyone where I was going…IM SO SURE!!

My last interview was a real life filming.  There were huge lights, cameras, umbrella looking things and it was intimidating.  They quizzed me on everything from A to Z.  A major issue that came up was my religion.  The man asking the question used to go to church when he was younger but was now an inactive member of the LDS church so he knew what he was talking about when he asked me questions drilled me. He wanted to know why I'd want to be on the bachelor to find love if as an active member of the LDS church I should only be dating those who are the same religion.  He went on interagting me in regards to my religion. I wasn't going to lie or act like religion wasn't the most important, so I did the best I could with the questions he asked.  They proceeded to take a bunch of pictures of me and then after a two hour ordeal, they took me back to my room.  The next day I packed up and left.  They let me know that if they were interested they would call me in the next two weeks. I honestly didn't know what would happen.

Lets get one thing straight. I was not looking for love on the TV show the bachelor. I was merely looking to be on the show and spend an entire summer in Rome. When I never got the call I was a bit bummed, but in all seriousness, I was not going for the so called ""right" reasons, plus a few months later I was introduced (via email) to my future husband.  I like to think that fate told the produces not to pick me for the show that summer. If I would have been in Rome, I never would have met Dave.  Instead of going to Rome that summer to be on a TV show where I'd have to pretend to look for love, I ended up finding the real thing.  Although I didn't fall in love with a complete stranger over national television having my entire relationship and courtship available for the world to see, I did find true love that summer. The first time I ever talked to Dave I knew he was the one.  He was indeed a complete stranger and I fell in love with him before we had even met.  It was like a fairy tale romance.  We immediately fell in love and we were married 8 months later.  3 years and and 5 months after the fact we couldn't be happier or more in love. Take that Bachelor.

So, there you have it. Something about me you didn't know. I auditioned to be on the Bachelor. Most of the time I forget about this story, but when each new season of the Bachelor comes on I'm reminded a bit of my experience and how different things could have been.

And they lived happily ever after.

The End.

 QA: What was your favorite season of the Bachelor/bachelorette? 
Mine was Trista and Jillian (I guess I like the bachelorette more?)

 side note/I am updating my fitness page regularly even if I don't post.

I'm being such a bad blogger latley.  I just haven't been feeling it. I just haven't been in the mood to blog. PLUS I still can't find my camera with all of my PFM, Christmas, New Years and everything else on it. I'm pretty upset. Not so much about the camera, but the pictures. It has to be at my parents…but where at is the question!

I had the day off on Friday and was able to go to the gym in the morning. It was great. I wish I could go to the gym at 9am every morning.  It is much more fun than 5am or 4pm…its perfect timing.  I cleaned the house when I got back and did a little relaxing.

I've decided that I'm interested in loosing a few lbs and am currently working slowly to make it happen.  I don't want to revert back to my "OLD" habits or over doing my exercise or restricting my food intake, instead i'm shooting for moderation and consistency.  For the past six or seven months I have not focused much on weight loss. My main focus has been figuring myself out. Learning how to eat when I'm hungry and work on becoming stronger physically through exercise.  All I have ever done for what seems like my entire life is "try and loose weight" so when I started making healthy changes, I decided I'd put the goal of "losing weight" on hold until I learned more about my body, understood how it worked and was confident in my choices.  I feel I have reached that spot. I am in a really good place, and am ready towork towards loosing a few lbs.  I'm not in a hurry, I have no time constraint or ridiculous goals…Loosing a few lbs is just something I'd like to achieve and have set out to do. 

OK back to our weekend….

Dave and I went to eat at our favorite restaurant "Tonys". It was AMAZING…no..it was better than amazing. After we ate, we ran some errands and went shopping and then headed home to watch a movie and snuggle on the couch.

Saturday morning we headed to the gym again and got in a great workout.  Did I tell you we joined a new gym. I think I did. Although I don't LOVE the gym…I do love this new elliptical machine. I'm not sure what it's called but its great. I get a great workout and am able to really work my legs and arms at the same time…I really like it.

We went shopping the rest of the day and I got to exchange some of the scents of the lotions I got for Christmas. I now have enough lotion to last me a few years. I got a ton of different scents and am having SO MUCH FUN smelling really good everyday. Later that night we walked across the street (literally) and hung out with our new neighbors. I love them. They are so much fun!  We get along so great, it feels like we've been friends forever.  On Sunday we were asked to speak in Church, it was good to get that out of the way.  I introduced us since we are new and told a little about the two of us and how we met la dee da… Dave talked about his conversion story to the LDS church. I'll have to post it on here one time. Its such a powerful story and he always does such an amazing job sharing it.  I've heard it a million times but never get sick of it. He is so awesome…..i'm feel so lucky to have him. I'm having another one of those times….where I am really really in love with my husband… like a lot. Do you ever have those times? Not like you don't always love them…but sometimes its just different.

This week is looking pretty gloomy.  Dave's grandpa is in the hospital and his mom told us she doesn't know if he will make it through the week. He is 84 years old (although he seems so so young, mentally he is 100% WITH it which makes this so much harder) he has been fighting colon cancer for quite some time now and is not doing well. These types of things are so hard. Dave is heart broken which in turn breaks my heart.  Please keep Dave and his family in your prayers.

I don't have much to blog about…which is why i've been so horrible about posting.  Don't hate. I guess i'm a little burnt out.  But I still love you.

QA: Do you ever get burnt out on blogging?

I just found my OLD camera in a box that we unpacked yesterday. I was looking through the memory card and found so many fun old pictures! I thought it might be fun to share some of them with you and give you a look into my past….

Our Story
Dave and I were "set up" through my friend Annie. She and her husband were living in Seattle at the time and they met Dave through a mutual friend.  She told Dave about me and suggested to look me up on myspace. (yes i had myspace at the time…embarrassing).  Annie told me that he may try and look me up. He sent me a message and asked for my email. We emailed a few times, but I was dating someone so it kinda faded. Then a month or so later he emailed me again. I wasn't dating the same guy anymore so I responded this time.  We chatted over email for a week or so and then talked on the phone. Our first conversation lasted 7 hours. We stayed up until 4:00am talking. There was an instant connection.  After that we talked every night 4-5 hours a night for 3 weeks straight. 3 weeks after our first phone chat, he flew to Utah to meet me. (we had seen plenty of pictures of each other).  The first time I saw Dave, he seriously took my breath away. He was not as good looking as his pictures, but ten times better. I got so nervous and acted like a nerd for the first 15 or 20 minutes. I couldn't even find my car in the parking lot because i was so frazzled. I knew I was going to marry this man.

After our first meeting, we spent a month flying back and forth between Seattle and Utah. Everyday we emailed (multiple times) and chatted for hours.  Things moved super fast.  I would come and visit him for a week at a time (I worked from home and was able to) and he would come to Utah on the other weekends.  At the end of November Annie (my friend) and Mark let me know they were going to Utah for 14 days and if I wanted I could stay at their house so we didn't have to fly back and forth to see each other! We were super excited! I packed up my things and drove to Seattle 2 days later! (Crazy???….na….just in love). The rest of our story can be told with the pictures I found on my camera….hope you like it!

Christmas 2006
This was our first Christmas together. I had just gotten back from Maui with my family and I couldn't wait to be with him! We had only been dating 4 months at this point, so we were all googily. Dave flew me to Seattle to share the Christmas with him.  He didn't have an extra bed in his condo, so I slept on a miniature couch (it was all they had). 
It was just us over the holiday. One on one. We had so much fun! We delivered "bum" packages, made a yummy Christmas breakfast, opened presents, watched movies, drank hot chocolate and had a Christmas feast at McDonald's.  It was the only restaurant we could find open.  We ended the night going to a movie with Annie (my friend who set us up) and her husband Mark!

A week after Christmas, Dave got a job in Portland so we packed up his things and moved him.  It was really sporadic and last minute.  He left a job at Boeing for a new adventure at Freightliner in Portland.  I drove behind him in his car while he drove the Uhal.  It was only a 4 hour drive, but it felt like forever!

I spent a few days at his new condo and then flew home. The next day I packed up my car and moved to Portland. It was impossible for us to date in separate states, we HAD to be together. I worked for my brother at the time and he was so awesome and gave me a job working from home so I could be with Dave. I moved into an apartment complex across the street from his townhouse.  All I had with me was my clothes, bathroom stuff, and a blow up mattress. NOTHING else.  I was living on love!

Here is a picture of my "bed". It was a blow up mattress. I didn't have enough money for furniture and since I moved with such short notice, this was the best that I could do.

I spent all my waking hours at Dave's town house.  Since I worked from home and needed Internet, I had to go to Dave's house to work.  We ate dinner together every night, hung out…and then when it was time to go to sleep, I'd get in my car and drive 15 seconds across the street! (it was cold or I would have walked). It was important to us that we didn't live together before we were married. Although I really only slept and showered at my apartment my apartment was good for something. It was the principal of a deicision we felt was important.

Valentines 2006
This was our first valentines.  Dave left me a basket of chocolates and the sweetest note on my doorstep.  I decorated his house the night before and came over first thing the next morning to make him a yummy breakfast!

A month later, Dave went on a business trip to Germany and I came to the airport with a little surprise…I had died my hair! He barley recongnized me!! It was funny!

March 28, 2007 (the engagement)
I was sound a sleep and around 4am I heard Dave come through the door (this was pretty normal because we used to workout together in the mornings and he'd come get me). I was really tired and knew he was early, so I rolled over.  I felt him lay down next to me and grab my hand.  Then I felt him try and push something on my finger. After a few seconds I realized he was trying to slip a ring on my finger.  I didn't want to ruin the surprise, so I pretended to be asleep. He kept trying. I don't know about you but my fingers swell up at night, so there was no way this thing was going on.  He pushed harder and even pinched my skin. I still tried to act like I was still asleep. After several attempts, I knew he'd never get it on so I slowly opened my eyes and looked at him.  He pushed again, this time with my help and it went right on. He then leaned over and whispered "will you marry me". ….and guess what? I said yes!

His plan was to put the ring on my finger while I was sleeping, then I'd wake up and see it while I was working out! lol it cracks me up to this day!! It was super cute even if it didn't go just as planned! This is me after he proposed.

We got married in Utah, So I came home 10 days before the wedding to help prepare. While I was there I had six super fun wedding showers thrown by friends and family!!

June 1, 2007
Dave and I were married June 1, 2007 in the Bountiful, Utah LDS temple.  It was a perfect day.

We went on our honey moon to Maui and had SO MUCH FUN!

When we got back home, I moved out of my crappy apartment and into Dave's our town house.

After a few weeks of living together, we realized there was not room for the both of us. One day as we were looking for a new place to live, our car ran out of gas.  We ended up in front of a bunch of town houses……..these town houses, ended up becoming our home for 1 1/2 years!!
(we took a bunch of pictures to pass the time while we waited for AAA)

After we moved in to our new home and got settled, we made some car changes…
We set out to buy one car, and left the lot with two. It was fun/long. We negotiated with them for 5 hours until they finally gave us the price we wanted. We let with an even swap!!

ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR(sound of car breaks screeching) 

Ok, sorry about the interrupt in the story…but that is where the pictures end. I have more pictures to describe our journey from that point forward, but they are on my lap to and would make this post…WAY TOO LONG. How about I sum it up with words…
 We lived in our town house in Beaverton, OR for a year and half. We prayed everyday for Dave to find a job in Utah so we could move close by family and buy a home…our prayers were answered! We packed up and moved! As  you know, we lived with my parents for a year and 3 weeks ago we moved into our very first home!
……..and then they lived happily ever after

If you're still reading, I'm sorry to bore you. It was super fun for me to look back on all these pictures and think about all the good times we've had. I totally forgot about my old apartment complex and our first town house. I was reminded of inside jokes, butterfly feelings, and tons of other wonderful memories while looking at these pics.

I love taking pictures and am so thankful for all of the pictures we took and continue to take.  To me, pictures are the story of our life! Each year since we met, I have made a photo book with pictures in it of the year. I love both of the books and look back on them often! It is something I will continue to do year after year. I'm also setting a goal to put all of our pictures into a slide show DVD. If I to do this every year, it will be super easy in the future to whip the DVDs out and have a mini blast from the past session. 
Ok people, I think I'm done writing now……………………………………………………………….yup, I am.

QA: How did you and your husband/boyfriend meet??

Hi with a heart over the I means Hi and I luv you! I slept in this morning until 6:50am! That is really great considering I usually get up around 5:00am.  It felt so good, I needed it BIG TIME!! Last night Dave, my Mom, Dad and I spent over 4 hours cleaning the new house.  I didn't think it was going to take anywhere near that long, but oh baby there is a lot to do! We got SO MUCH done, but still have a quite a bit left!  It was so fun to be in the empty house and try to imagine us and our things living there.  We were supposed to close on Thursday or Friday of this week…but it seems like there is always something that comes up with the stupid mortgage company, it might not be until next week now…(tears).  I'm crossing my fingers and praying super hard that we can close on Friday. I already have EVERYTHING lined up for moving on Saturday, so if i have to change it all I might will start crying.

Off subject
Do you ever have days where you realize just how much you love your husband or significant other? Every other day you love them, but some days you just really really really love and appreciate them? In a way you never have before? I'm having one of those days. When I felt Dave next to me this morning I felt warm, comfortable and safe.  When I hugged him goodbye before he left for work, I felt extremely thankful for his hard work and his daily dedication to work so hard for me and our little family. When he emailed me this morning happy as ever with excitement in his words, I felt thankful for his positive attitude and his sweetness.  When I stop and think about him today, I feel happy, safe and excited to see him this afternoon.  I just really really love him today.  I think more than ever I ever have before.  

On a less happy note, my foot is still hurting! I'm so bugged at it!  Saturday we went to the doctor and they took some blood work to test me for Gout.  The blood work came back yesterday and I definitely don't have gout…THANK GOODNESS, however now I am left super confused because I did nothing to hurt it, and it seriously hurts.  Weird thing is there have been two days where I have woken up and the pain was all but gone, then by the middle/end of the day it is hurting again full force! I just can't figure it out. If it keeps going like this all week, I'm going to go get an x-ray.  The doctor gave me a walking cast type thing that helps with the pain when I walk and allows me to not injure the rest of my body by limping, but it does not take away the pain.  I'm starting to get a bit frustrated as it is putting a HUGE kink in my exercise routine.  I feel like I've been the biggest slacker not able to do any cardio, but in the same breath I can't help it. I want to full on work out, but its not possible! I don't want to let it get me down so I'm trying to stay positive and focus on keeping as active as possible!

Yesterdays 4 hours of cleaning was a workout and I needed it! I wasn't sweating too much as it was only 50-60 degrees in the house, but after about 15 minutes my sweat shirt came off and I stayed warm the entire time!  My arms were killing me! We were scrubbing so hard over and over! My upper body is actually sore!  Cleaning is a great way to burn some calories, especially if you do it for hours on end!!

Today we are headed back over to the house to do some more cleaning! Dave is going to put together a few things we got this weekend and I am going to finish the cleaning. We have a bug guy coming to spray the house and kill all th spiders. I hope to never see a spider in that house…EVER! (good news is I didn't run in to any bugs yesterday while cleaning!)

I am going to incorporate a workout into my cleaning today if my foot will allow. I stopped typing just now and wrote out a workout for this afternoon and am excited to give it a try.   I'll take some pictures and share the workout with you tomorrow!!

I've found it frustrating when things out of your control get in the way and make it hard to accomplish the things you desire.  Instead of letting those feelings of frustration overwhelm me, I'm going to stick it to my foot pain and do as much as possible to stay active. It's important for me to remember that I don't have to be gasping for air and sweating my bum off in order to be doing something good for my body each day.  I think that sometimes our bodies need a little change anyhow. Maybe my foot is telling my brain that it does not want high impact right now….who knows? Maybe it's tired of me working it so hard! Either way I plan on making the best out of my situation by trying new things and  staying positive through this experience!

In other news…if you haven't already, check out the PFM give away and make sure to get your name entered in..you don't want to miss out on these items, they are just TOO CUTE!  Don't for get check out my sissys site and leave her a comment…you all made her feel so great yesterday with your sweet comments! Keep em coming!!!

QA:
What do you do to stay active when you don't feel good or have an injury that limits what you can do?  IDEAS Please!!!

Five years ago I had the opportunity to live in Romania for an entire summer. I volunteered in an orphanage for handicap children and also worked with a low income summer camp. This experience was unlike anything I can describe. Romania is an poverty stricken country. I saw hundreds of children living on the streets, families pitching make-shift tarp tents in the fields. I visited homes that were half the size of my bedroom and housed a family of seven. People did not have bathrooms or running water. Most people went hungry on a daily basis.

The conditions of the orphanage were not much better. The children were locked away in small rooms with little to no contact. Their diapers were never changed, their bellies never full, and their hearts heavy. The first day I visited the orphanage and saw the children living in these conditions, my heart broke in two. I sobbed just thinking about what I had seen. These children had no chance of a healthy, happy life. I called my mother and decided I couldn’t handle seeing their pain. I didn’t want to know what they were going through. My heart could not handle the weight. Unbearable as things seemed, my mother helped me see that love and service would give these children hope, something they may never have had. I decided that if I could be a ray of light in their life, even if just for a short time, I would be giving them something special. I prayed it would bring them some sort of comfort. That prayer gave me hope.

My experiences from that summer are too long to write about, but so near to my heart. Giving these children of myself was incredible. I began to see their eyes light up and have joy. Funny thing is, as much as these children needed me, I needed them more. Their sweet spirits touched my soul and took my heart places it had never been. My service to them changed my life forever.

It has now been five years since that summer in Romania but I long to go back. I long to help those sweet children I once called my own. I long to give them everything they will never have. I'm not sure these feelings will ever go away.

It’s easy to focus my thoughts and efforts on my children in Romania. I saw their needs, I witnessed their struggles and I heard their cries.

Lately I have been thinking about what I can do to help make a difference in the life of others around me. I want to do something to help people in need. I have been blessed so much and want to give back, but how? I haven't personally seen a comparative need here at home to that in Romania. I don't see children begging for the food on the streets. I've never watched a family make a home in the fields where I live. I don't know anyone who doesn't have a bathroom or running water. Does that mean that kind of poverty does not exist around us??

I really got to thinking about these things and decided to do some research to find out what's really going on around me. Could there be people in my community who are in similar situations as the people of Romania? Could I really help people so close to home?

Take a look at these statistics:

-On average 1 out of every 8 Americans are hungry

-In 2007, an estimated 12.4 million children lived in low food security and very low food security households

-13.3 million (approximately 18%) of children in the U.S. live in poverty

-In 2006, food insecurity in suburban areas was 9% (42 million households) and very low food security 3.2% (1.5 million households)

These statistics are just a few out of hundreds related to hunger, poverty and the problem “our” children are facing. It is happening right here. It is in our back yards. Families are suffering. Millions of children are going to bed hungry.

You and I are blessed. We have roofs over our heads, clothes to wear, food to eat and so much more. I know we are all trying each day to be better people. We work hard to stay positive, and try to do what is necessary to improve ourselves. I know with all my heart that the best way to do these things is to put other people first.  Service is the key.

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matt. 25:40).

I've created a plan to help us do it. Something you and I can do to make a difference, a big difference. I can't do this alone, but I know with your help and all of our determination, we will make BIG things happen. Take a look at my proposal. 

Project Feed Me
October 12, 2009-December 12, 2009

What is Project Feed Me?

Project Feed is a nine week program designed to help feed thousands of hungry Families.

The Goal

-Donate as many items of food as possible to the Local Food Banks 

-Rally as many people as possible to participate in Project Feed Me

-Give back and Feed the hungry

How do I participate?

Four Easy Steps:

1. Register and become a member of Project Feed Me
Registering for the project is important and will help Project Feed Me keep track of how many people are participating. We will also be able to keep track of how much food we are collecting and how many people we will be able to feed!!

2. Commit to buying two of the "recommended food items" per week for the entire nine week project
(These items will not be expensive! Some weeks the items will not even equal $1.00)

3. Commit to getting at least 3 other people to become members of Project Feed Me

4. At the end of nine weeks, look up your local food bank (US here) (Canada here)and donate your items
*The recommended food items are a list of items that have been predetermined by Food Banks across the country. The recommended food items will be posted at nono2yoyo.com every Monday Starting Monday October 12. It will be your responsibility to check back each week to find out what the weekly item is and ensure you are buying the foods that are recommended and  needed by the food banks.

How do I become a member?

-It's super easy, and free! Register HERE to become a member and participate.
Registering for the project is important and will help Project Feed Me keep track of how many people are participating. We will also be able to keep track of how much food we are collecting and how many people we will be able to feed!!

-After you register, you will receive email confirmation of your registration. Your confirmation email will also include the  HTML code for the Project Feed Me button (shown above). If you have blog or website and you want to help spread the word,  add this button to your page for others to see!

-Once you are confirmed  a member you will be added to the Project and can start feeding the hungry!

The table below is an illustration of what could be possible if each of us commit to rally three other people to join Project Feed Me.  The numbers are staggering.

1.2 million items of food, and that's if you and I buy only two cans of food a week for nine weeks and commit to rally three other people to do the same thing!!  Does that excite you? I hope so!! Because it makes me want to scream with excitement!! Are you ready to help make this happen? If so…

 REGISTER HERE
If you plan on participaiting in the Project please take 30 seconds to register yourself. Registering for the project is important and will help Project Feed Me keep track of how many people are participating. We will also be able to keep track of how much food we are collecting and how many people we will be able to feed!!
 

How do I register?
It's easy and free. Register HERE to become a member and participate.

Why do I need to register?
Registering for the project is important and will help Project Feed Me keep track of how many people are participating. We will also be able to keep track of how much food we are collecting and how many people we will be able to feed!!

Do I have to have a blog or site to participate?
NO! Anyone that would like to participate is encouraged to do so. You do not have to have a blog or website to join in and participate.

Why is the project nine weeks long?
Project Feed Me was designed to help feed hungry famlies over the holidays.  What better way to give back and share our blessings with those in need. The project will end two weeks before Christmas allowing members to deliver and donate their items before the holiday. Project Feed Me's proceeds with then help feed hungry families over the holidays.

How do I tell others about the Project?
You can tell your friends and family about Project Feed me by sending them the following link: Project Feed or www.nono2yoyo.com/project-feed-me

Is Project Feed Me a competition?
No. Project Feed Me is not a competition. Our goal is however to rally as many people as possible to participate.  If friendly competition will help you get the job done…so be it, but remember, the only prizes that will be given are your food donations to hungry children and families across the country. What better prize could their be?!!

Can I register and participate even if the Project has already started?
Absolutely!  Whether you start at week one or week eight, your participation is NEEDED!!

Why do I need to purchase the recommended food item, can't I just buy any type of food?
Food banks ask that if possible people buy the items on their recommended food list.  This helps the food banks acquire the foods people are in need of.

How do I know what the recommended food item is for each week of the program?
Every Monday Starting Monday October 12th, the recommended food item for that week will be posted at "nono2yoyo.com". Make sure to check back weekly so you can purchase the right items each week.

When do I take the food to the food bank?
You can take your food to your local food bank at the end of the nine week project.

When the project is over where do I deliver my food?
Click "US Food Bank Locator " or "Canada Food Bank Locator" to find a food bank in your area.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact  me at: nono2yoyo@gmail.com

Yesterday I mentioned I had a exciting Idea that I was brewing up….well I DO…BUT I'm not quite ready to let the cat out of the bag just yet. 

 BUT GUESS WHAT?

I do have some other really great  news!!  Remember my post a few weeks ago about "Counting Calories". If you didn't get a chance to read it, go back and read before you continue.

I thought a lot about that post and hoped that someone would give me some sort of great idea that would help me kick this annoying unhealthy(for me) habit. At the end of the day, I took a moment to re-read the comments and read what you had to say to me.

Emily from "Home Cooked Em" wrote:

" Try mentally counting for awhile and get away from putting it down on paper. You don't want to live writing down everything for the rest of your life."

Kelly form "Every Gyms Nightmare" left a  comment saying:

"ooo that totally used to be me. What i did was start by just counting at the end of the day- don't keep track during and then try and recall everything. Usually what would happen was i couldn't remember everything i had so i knew it wasn't accurate and eventually didn't see the point anymore. I also started focusing on the quality of my food as opposed to the quantity. start trying to hit all your food groups- it will give you something a little less obsessive to pay attention to, and you know you are eating healthy so you wont get so nervous about the calorie part."

There were a few others but these ones really stuck out to me. It's true, I don't want to be counting calories and tallying everything up on paper (or in my head) for the rest of my life. I had to try somthing different.  To be honest, before I wrote that post, I really didn't know what to do and I was kinda of afraid to try. I worried I would eat too much and gain weight or not be able to listen to my body. I was a bit weary to try what Kelly and Emily had suggested, but I decided to suck it up and give it a try.

The first day I thought about adding up my calories more times than I can count, but right before I'd do the addition in my head, I remembered their suggestions and told myself NO!  It was CRAZY how many times I wanted to add and re-add stuff during the day, but my goal to make it one day gave me motivation.  At the end of the first night I was a little scared to add it all up and see what my choices would equal.  To my HUGE SURPRISE I was exactly where I wanted to be. EXACTLY. I can't tell you how good it felt. I committed to continue to do this the next day.  And so I did, and the next, and the next.  It has now been 1 weeks since I have not tallied up my calories after each time I eat them. Not in my head, and not on paper! Halle freaking lujah!!  I've decided to tallying them at the end of the day, because I want to make sure I'm on track with where I want to be. I know that with enough practice I will be confident without ever tallying them at all!! Last night I after I mentally added up my daily total I couldn't help but get really EXCITED!! I have gone one week without obsessing over calories. I have eaten the foods I love, eaten when I've wanted to eat, and have been completely satisfied. 

One other AWESOME thing I've found is when I'm  hungry I eat, and when I'm not hungry I don't eat. ha ha Sounds simple right? Not for me…I could never grasp the idea of intuitive eating. I honestly didn't know how to recognize when I was or wasn't hungry. I was so used to eating at the time I planned to eat or when I had calories left to eat. I didn't know how to listen to my body and realize when it was hungry. There were so many times in my past where I would set a daily calorie allotment and at the end of the day if I still hadn't eating all of the calories I alloted, I would go ahead and eat them right up, whether I was hungry or not. I ate them just because I had them left to eat.  There has been more than one occasions in the past week where I have been done eating and counted up my daily total only to realize that I am so much lower than I I thought….and I'm full, no more food necessary. It didn't matter that I ate less that day because I chose healthy foods and I felt great.  If I would have been counting calories after each of those meal on those days, I would have eaten more….just because I hadn't reached my limit yet!

I can't tell you how excited I am right now. I don't ever in all my life remember feeling this in control of food and eating. It's like someone fixed the connection between my mind and body that has been broken for 10 years!!
I know I'm not an expert and 1 week of success does not equate to a lifetime, but I'm finally on the right track.  A track I don't ever remember being on!

I wish I could write some inspirational post about how you or people you know with an "ED" can do the same thing. I wish I could give you step by step instructions on how not to obssess over calories. But the truth is I don't know how to explain everything that led up to today. Last night I thought a lot about when I used to limit myself to a crazy low amount of calories, or when I used to binge eat, or when I made myself sick from exercising, and all the other unhealthy things I did. …….If I could go back in time, could I have helped me? Would I have listened? I bet fifty bucks the answer is no.  I wouldn't have listened, I couldn't have changed, I wouldn't have taken any action.  BUT WHY? 

Answer: I didn't love myself. I did not love myself and I did not believe in myself, and the worst part is I didn't even know it.

-blos·som: A period or condition of maximum development-

 If we don't already, we must develop a deep, love for ourselves. Inside and out.  I believe that when we treat ourselves with love and respect a seed in our soul begins to grow. If we continue to love, nourish and respect ourselves our souls will eventually blossom.

I'm sorry to talk about this same subject over and over, but its true and I have such a strong belief in it. Strength and power lies within us. We all have it, every single one of us.
I am so thankful for YOU and everyone in my life that has helped and continues to help my soul blossom.