Celebrate the Small Things

Happy Friday and long weekend to everyone! As part of VikLit's Celebrate the Small Things blog hop, I'm going to give a quick rundown of the reasons why I'm partying like it's 1999 (okay bad reference because I was extremely pregnant with my firstborn that New Year's Eve and didn't party at all).

1. The re-write of my first novel What I've Done is going so well it has me doing several fist pumps in the air per hour. My original editor was able to help me and I think we make an awesome team. It couldn't be going any better. I'm also working on an updated trailer, so stay tuned!

2. Today I get to go to our lake home for the first time this year! I miss my friends out there so badly and cannot wait to sit by the fire and drink a beer...or two (who am I kidding, I'm bringing a whole case). Plus my favorite band is going to be playing at the local bar there, which means I will get to dust off my dance moves after a long winter...

3. My cold is going away and I've been able to continue running. I feel amazing after a good run and have to restrain myself from doing it every single day. I probably owe all my running friends an apology for telling them they're psycho in the past...

4. School is almost over for the kids and I'm slowly regaining my own life back. Hopefully this will equate to more writing time so I can kick out the sequel to my zombie novel!

5. Some of my best writing friends and I got to hang out in another Google chat session. I got to beta read an awesome story for a friend. I am writing one of my editor's books and love it. Life in the writing world is awesome. This week, anyway.

Wishing you all a fantastic (and safe) holiday weekend!

The Battle Continues

So here we are on week two of my strict diet. I had my first weigh in and discover I lost 5 pounds and 6.5 inches! Yay! Although things are going pretty well...

There, I said it. Or rather my soul-sister Emma did. But still. After spending five hours helping my son with a science fair project, a beer would be nice. Or after a long day of running and finally getting to sit back at a restaurant, I have to say the margaritas around me were looking amazing. Is that so wrong? But as one of my Twitter friends recently pointed out, I only have three episodes of The Walking Dead to enjoy before I will be off this strict died and I can eat my ice cream again. Or some chocolate. Or anything deliciously sweet.

While I'm sharing with you, I have a confession to make. I cheated. With a chocolate chip. Or make that three. While cleaning up behind my son's mess the other day, I saw them on the counter. They were just sitting there all alone, so beautiful and innocent, calling to me. And I ate them. All three. And damn they tasted good.

Something tells me I'll put some pounds on quickly after I'm given the okay to indulge in some of my favorites. It's funny how my mouth waters just from walking past the candy isle at Walmart, or even from looking up recipes for broccoli online (yeah, that actually happened...I've officially gone to the dark side). And I know it's not going to get any easier. Maybe I should post a picture of Gwen Stefani on my mirror so I will be reminded that soon I will look just like her.

Yeah, okay, I'll never look like Gwen. But a girl can pretend. So BACK OFF! (Warning, this diet makes me a bit cranky!)

Here's to hoping I only have a few weeks left before all my dreams will come true and I can go back to eating things that put a smile on my face. Until then, I will continue to do exactly as I'm told. No alcohol, Red Bull, ice cream, pasta, bread, Mexican or any other food and drink that make me completely insane with a primal hunger just thinking about.

But maybe, just maybe, I will allow myself the tiniest of indulgences. Maybe next week I will break down and have four chocolate chips. Just don't tell my weight coach.