Happy Weekend!

Image from Nadja Seale via Pinterest

What are your plans for the weekend? I want to be this girl. So beautiful and carefree...

Don't forget to watch Secrets from a Stylist tomorrow at 8:30pm on HGTV! Did you watch last week? Emily did her first bedroom and it was awesome. I'm in love with the headboard she used for the first look - it was a huge slice of tree - but she said it was $1,100!! Needless to say, they had to switch it out for a more affordable option for the final look. This week the show changes to just one look and I'm excited to see the new format!

Since so many of you commented last week that you like posts about design (and I've sort of hit a wall in that department), I thought I'd tell you a little bit about some of my favorite design blogs so you can do a little browsing this weekend!

Design Sponge - if you don't already know about this site, you've been missing out. They post several times a day and have the best inspiration around for designing the perfect rooms. They also have posts on flowers, food, and DIY projects. My dream is to be featured as one of their before and afters!

With Two Cats - Lauren also blogs for Spearmint Baby and her adorable little girl Violet has one of my favorite nurseries. She makes the most beautiful inspiration boards for her readers and I love her fresh perspective.

Moggit - While this might not be the site to gather inspiration for your own home, it is hilarious and Joy and Janet come up with the funniest commentary for the strange items they find.

Style by Emily Henderson - As host of Secrets from a Stylist on HGTV, Emily is a designer like no other. She has a knack for mixing vintage thrift store finds with more contemporary pieces to create a collected, lived-in look. Watch her show and then check her blog where she spills even more secrets and resources.

Young House Love - You have to check out this blog by John and Sherry featuring their adorable daughter Clara and cuddly pup Burger. They are all about the DIY and I learn so much from them every week.

Design Mom - Gabrielle Blair has six kids and a husband and moved them all to France for the year. She throws the most beautiful parties and her kids make the most creative Christmas presents for each other every year. Not to mention she shares her great eye for design for the home and more!

Anna White - Anna is known for her catalog-quality furniture plans, but more than that, she is now building a duplex for her mother and mother-in-law! I am amazed at her mad skills.

Lay Baby Lay - First, check out little Vivian's nursery. Fall in love. Then, subscribe to the blog for a regular dose of super cute inspiration boards for the coolest nurseries ever. You won't be disappointed!

Spearmint Decor - I honestly don't know how Shari does it! She has five fabulous blogs that she updates regularly (Spearmint Baby, Decor, Kitchen, Weddings, and Money), she has little kids, AND she's super fit and adorable. I want to be her when I grow up.

I hope you get a chance to check out these amazing blogs and if you do, let me know which are your favorites! If there is an awesome design blog that I missed, tell me about it and I'll check it out!

SFAS Season Two

Hey there! I just wanted to let you all know that season two of Secrets from a Stylist with Emily Henderson on HGTV premieres tonight at 8:30pm (7:30 CST). If you have DirecTV like I do, you can watch it with the East Coast at 5:30pm. Please set your DVRs and watch! There are some big changes this season and my neighbors are on one of the episodes. I think she might have wallpapered their ceiling...

Photo by Laure Joliet via Emily's blog

Watch it people! It is really important that you watch and tell your friends and family to watch so SFAS can be renewed for a third season. Emily is awesome and deserves to stay on the air, so let's do this!

Distractions are Divine

Read all of my Spearmint Baby posts here.

After the holidays, we had an amazing distraction to get us through the first part of the year. We were selected to be on a new show on HGTV called Secrets from a Stylist with Design Star winner Emily Henderson. You can watch our episode, titled Mantique Minimalism, here.

Our living/dining room before:

And after:

Photos by Laure Joliet. See more here.

The anticipation of filming was the perfect thing to get me through all the worries I had about getting pregnant. I just sort of ignored it for a while. I got my period in December with the help of Provera, but didn’t get it again for two months. Then, in March, I got my period all by myself. I have never in my life been so excited to get my period. My husband and I jumped up and down in the kitchen, that’s how excited we were to see Aunt Flo.

We decided that we would start clomid in April and we were hopeful that this would be our year. Then, I got some terrible news. I received a RIF or reduction in force letter that said I would be laid off at the end of the school year. I was also RIFed two years ago, but it was rescinded right before the end of the year and I was able to keep my job. However, this time my school’s enrollment was projected to decrease, so even if the RIF was rescinded, I would not be able to stay at my school and could be placed anywhere in the district. Even though I’ve worked for the district for four years, I still have the lowest seniority in my subject area because they have laid off everyone below me.

So, I began the job search. In addition to teaching full time, everyday after work I went to as many schools as I could to submit my cover letter and resume. I had a couple of good leads and was ready to interview and land a job.

We wavered back and forth trying to decide whether or not to move forward with our plan to start clomid. I felt kind of stupid trying for a baby when I wasn’t sure if I would have a job after June. At the same time, we felt like if we waited, we’d never make any progress in the baby-making direction.

After discussing it with my therapist, she advised that we see the job situation and the baby situation as two separate issues. She told me not to think of one as dependent on the other and to make a decision on the baby thing without thinking about the job thing. So, with that in mind, we decided to move forward with clomid in April!

Silhouettes for Mom

When my mom saw Emily Henderson make silhouettes for one of the episodes of Secrets from a Stylist on HGTV, she gushed about how cool it was. I remembered that and decided to make some for her for Mother's Day. Here's how:

First, I took pictures of my stepdad and brother in profile. I didn't want my mom to know, so I found a picture I had taken a couple of moths ago where she was in profile and cropped it. I printed them in 8 x 10, but they could have been smaller for the frame I had.

Then, I put the photo over black cardstock - I actually stapled the photo to the cardstock in areas that I knew wouldn't be part of the final silhouette.

Here are all of the silhouettes ready to be mounted!

I used double sided tape mounting squares to stick the silhouettes on white cardstock.

I had to make sure that the bottoms were all the same distance up or they would look strange all lined up.

Since the paper was 8 1/2 x 11 and the frame was 8 x 10, I put the glass over the cardstock and traced it with pencil so I could trim the excess.

And finished! I actually already had these frames in my collection, so the project was basically free. I know my mom doesn't mind. It's the thought that counts and I'm getting laid off while trying to get pregnant. HA... cracks me up.

So cute!! Ok, so if I could do it all over again, I would make the silhouettes smaller and use white frames with white matting like Emily did. I might redo this project if I find some extra cash to buy new frames. I just couldn't justify it as I have 462 frames sitting in our guest bedroom. Yes, that's an exaggeration, but I do have a TON of them.

I think she liked it and it was so fun to see how much the silhouettes looked like them!

When was the last time you made something for your mom for Mother's Day?

SFAS Recap: The Details

Did you watch last night's episode of Secrets from a Stylist? I loved it!

There are quite a few things that didn't make it into the story for our episode. They edited out the parts where we talked about the camera collection, but it is one of our favorite things that Emily did for us.

Photo by Laure Joliet

My husband had a few cameras already displayed in the office, but she got him more and really completed the collection. I love that they face you as you sit on the couch watching TV. It has a cool mirror-in-a-mirror quality.

Emily didn't know it, but the stump side table has a lot of meaning for us as well.

Photo by Laure Joliet

Our wedding was at my husband's parents' house. They have a 10 acre ranch covered in oak trees and big rocks. The theme of our wedding became the oak tree and we used slices of them throughout the decor: on the tables, under the cake, etc. I've always wanted a stump like this and it works so beautifully in the room.

As for the best part of the whole room? The part that almost made me cry when I saw it in the first reveal (of course, they cut that out because it didn't go with the whole we-were-so-pissed-off thing)?

Photo by Laure Joliet

This tree is a drawing by my mother-in-law. We used it on all of our wedding stationery - invitations, seating cards, reply cards, programs, etc. Last year, she had the original framed for us, but I've always wanted it blown up huge for the living room. It it a symbol of our love for each other. 

Photo by Laure Joliet

You see, this is a real tree on my in-law's property. If you walk to the other side of it, you can see that it is actually two trees growing into one (just like us).

I've always known that it's the details that make something special. The details of our room really make it stand out as ours and I love seeing all these reminders of our passions everyday.

This concludes the recaps! Did you miss something?

Recap: Final Look

Recap: Look One

Recap: Style Diagnostic

Recap: Before

Recap: Here we go...

SFAS Recap: Final Look

Our episode is online!! Watch it HERE.

When we came in for the final reveal, the room felt like a breath of fresh air...

 photo by Laure Joilet

So amazingly beautiful!! The chair rail and the white on the bottom half of the wall made the room feel so much larger. The curtains made it feel breezy and fresh and the valences were so unique.

  photo by Laure Joilet

The wooden furniture felt so much more "us" than all the white. The new chandelier was so simple and lovely and the candlesticks were the perfect mix of modern and rustic.

  photo by Laure Joilet

LOVE the bar cart. That print is one of my favorites! I commented on Emily's blog post about it forever ago and she noticed and got it for us! Super cool.

photo by Laure Joilet

My husband is sort of a camera buff, so the collection was all for him. I love it so much, too, though! These accessories I love because they mean something. The thinker bookends are kind of random, but I still like them. And I love that she displayed a bunch of my art history books from college because they were expensive and filled with such beautiful pictures.

The couch is so comfy and SO dog friendly!! Stains wipe right off with water. We've tested it several times, believe me. With two dogs, one of which is only 9 months old, messes are unavoidable in our house.

We were so happy that the other members of our family, Jackson and Ruby, could join us for the last few minutes of filming. Thank you SO much to Laura and Scott for helping us out with the little rascals that day!

Awwww Ruby got a close-up!! What a love.

Stay tuned for some more details from the room!

Did you miss something?

Recap: Look One

Recap: Style Diagnostic

Recap: Before

Recap: Here we go...

SFAS Recap: Look One

Was it really that awkward? Yes, yes it was.

Here's what we left our house looking like...

And here's what it looked like when we came back...

And here's our reaction...

I looked like I was trying to hide behind my husband!

Here's what was going through my mind:

• Wow, the walls are dark (and smooth - yay!) and all the furniture is white.
• Bummer, they didn't smooth or paint the entryway.
• Ummm... they switched the rooms! Wait, I'm not sure if I'm ok with that.
• Where's the TV?
• Our TREE!!!!! YAY!!!! Makes me want to cry, but...
• There's so much stuff everywhere! Stuff makes me anxious.
• Oh, yeah, I'm being filmed. I should smile!

And when that much stuff is going through my little pea brain, I tend to not be able to talk. Before we went inside, they kept telling us that the worst thing we could do was to not say anything and at that moment, I couldn't find any words.

When I said that I couldn't imagine us living there, I meant that I couldn't imagine our day to day life on the other side of the room by the windows. When we left, I told my husband we were switching the rooms back. We had planned to eventually open up the kitchen to the dining area and I thought that this new arrangement wouldn't allow for that. I was worried about the hole in the ceiling from the chandelier on the wrong side of the room and I was sad we didn't get the fireplace or entryway like we thought we would. However, at dinner that night, my husband convinced me that we should live with the room however it was for three months without changing anything.

Poor guy! They kept cutting away to this shot, making it seem like he was super angry. We realized while watching that this was probably during one of those times when we were waiting for something to happen and didn't really realize the cameras were even rolling. He wasn't even that upset! He didn't like it, but I was way more freaked out by all the change than he was.

I thought Emily was mad at us. I emailed her that night and apologized for being so freaked out and she was really nice, but I definitely got the feeling that she wasn't happy with how we reacted. I suppose we should have said something like "it's really nice, but not for us," but honestly? We didn't like it for anyone. But does that mean we think Emily is a bad designer? NO WAY! She's amazing!!! We're just not that cool and don't always "get" good design, you know?

Up next, the final reveal! I've got some amazing photos to share with you...

SFAS Recap: Style Diagnostic

Wowsers, this part was wayyyyyy different after all that editing.

Hold on. Stop blogging. Reality TV is edited??? It isn't 100% real? Whaaaaaaaaaat? Ha. Yeah.

First, she asks us the questions and we answer. Then, the second unit (secondary camera that is a little less important than the main one) takes close ups of us pointing to things and holding things up. Even though we're pointing and holding while we talk, we do all the pointing and holding a second time so they can get close-ups of everything.

Let's talk sweaters.

During this clip, you hear me say, "I like this one" and you see me holding up this sweater, but you don't see me talking and holding it up in the same frame. Then you hear Emily say, "Why do you like it?" and I reply, "I like the color," but you don't see our faces, just me from my chest down holding the sweater. I actually hated this sweater. I picked a royal blue one (hence the whole color comment - why would I say I like that oatmeal color?) with pearl buttons. BUT, Emily thought I was going to pick this one, so they edited it to make it seem like I did. Those tricksters...

I actually liked one of the men's sweaters the best. It was grey with white stripes. Very clean and minimal and cool. I pulled that one out at one point, but they didn't show it.

They also cut out a question she asked us about what hotel we'd most like to stay in and why. I didn't answer that one how she expected either, which explains why they cut it.

Here we are when she said that my husband's style was "Mantique Minimalism" hahahahaha...

The sad part about this was that when she first said it, we all laughed hysterically, then they had to stop us because her mic had fallen down under her dress and they couldn't hear anything she'd said. We had to re-do the whole thing and it wasn't as funny the second time around.

Oh, also, the house where we filmed this was this amazing place in the Hollywood Hills with breath-taking views, but the AC didn't work very well and it was probably 115 degrees in that room with those lights on us. It was HOT. I kept asking if my face was red (those of you who know me know my face gets red very easily), but I'm happy to say it looked fine on TV. Whew. Crisis averted.

Did you miss something?
SFAS Recap: Before
SFAS Recap: Here we go...

Stay tuned for my recap of the first reveal!!

SFAS Recap: Before

**SFAS = Secrets from a Stylist. On HGTV. Watch it, people.**

Last night, we watched the show at home with our families. We ate pizza and salad and drank champagne to take the edge off of seeing ourselves on TV. When it was over, I, for one, was relieved! I thought it was a great episode and it was pretty funny!

For the "before" segment, Mike said he liked things that were old and worn and rustic. We pointed out that our old-looking (Target) phone wasn't even plugged in (it used to be, but we never used the phone line, so we got rid of it to save money).

It was pretty funny how Emily and I both wore red dresses, though mine is more of a pink-ish color, and lots of people said that we looked like sisters (I'm flattered).

I said that I don't like a lot of stuff, meaning that I like things to be really uncluttered and bare. At our meeting back in October, I said I liked "modern, but not too modern" and I guess I meant that I like clean lines an not much clutter, but nothing too crazy-out-of-the-box.

I said in the interviews (those times when we're talking to the director who is sitting right next to the camera) that I'm weird about jewelry and I won't wear a necklace if I'm wearing earrings and I won't wear a bracelet or watch on the same hand as my wedding ring. I really don't like a lot of stuff everywhere, which Emily said was the hardest part for her because she does. She admitted (though they cut it out) that it was hard for her to edit the first look to make it truly minimalist.

After this, we went to the studio space in the Hollywood Hills to film the Style Diagnostic. Stay tuned!! They edited this part like crazy!!

SFAS Recap: Here we go...

When you're on TV, people are going to hate you. I knew that, but I sort of forgot that I would see their comments on facebook, twitter, and the blogs. I'm pretty sensitive, so it is hard for me to take, but I use this blog as a means of therapy, so let's talk it out, people.

Back in October, Emily came over to talk style with us. Initially, we applied for our master bedroom to be styled, but Emily thought our living/dining room needed more help. As her assistant measured the room, my husband and I went through magazines and flagged pictures that we liked. At one point during our conversation, Emily said that she would love to open up the wall between our kitchen and dining room. We were SO excited about this as it has been something we have wanted to do since we bought the house. She said she'd have to check with the producers and she'd let us know. I asked her about it again a month or two later and she said that it was a possibility, but probably wouldn't happen. We also told her that we had been wanting to put in an electric fireplace and while she didn't say, "Yes, you will for sure get one," I felt, from her reaction, that we would. Lastly, she said that they would definitely do the entryway. She was very positive about that one.

Ok, now I love Emily. I'm probably her biggest fan. I think she is adorable and nice and real and so so good at what she does. When we had our meeting, she hadn't filmed any of the episodes for the show yet, except her one special with her friend, Ian. She knew that there wasn't supposed to be any major renovation, but she  didn't know exactly where they'd draw the line. She also didn't know that I'm pretty obsessive about planning and thinking through things and that I would convince myself that they were going to completely renovate our kitchen, as well. Oops. My bad.

The week of filming begins and we are kicked out of our house to sleep on an air mattress at my parents' house. When we came back for the first day of filming, our house was not ours anymore. It was a set. We weren't allowed to go into some of the rooms and had to ask permission to go to the bathroom. As soon as our part of filming was over, we had to leave because they had to start working right away. This was my first realization that this was not about us, it was all about TV. Yes, we are lucky and so very grateful, but they are making money off of us, too, right? They gave us free stuff, used our home at a set, didn't pay actors, didn't pay writers... there is a reason why reality TV is so popular. It is cheap and juicy. Ew...

Now that you have some background, next I'll tell you about the style diagnostic and the reveals.

And did I mention how incredibly grateful we are? Well, we are. And we love Emily. And HGTV. And Tricon Films.

The Next Step

I went to the doctor today and am moving forward with Clomid on my next cycle! I'm nervous, but excited to get this process going. Babysitting two adorable little girls last weekend made my yearning for a baby so much stronger (if that's even possible) and I am SO ready for the next step.

I finally got my butt back in the gym on Sunday after a really long hiatus. I went last night, as well! It feels so good to get back to yoga and pilates classes. I have to remember that next time I want to be lazy...

We are sooooo nervous for the show to air on Saturday!! People have been asking if we are having a viewing party, but we're only having our parents over because we are too embarrassed to watch it with a big group of people. Please watch, but please don't judge. It is super awkward being filmed and we have no idea how they edited it.

I just discovered a new online magazine called Styled. It's all about parties and I love it. Here is an umbrella they featured that I really really want:

It is pink! And it is SHAPED LIKE A HEART!! I wish I had some extra cash laying around because I would totally snag one of these from Esty seller Umbrella Heaven for $35.

My little brother starred in Peter Pan last weekend and was so adorable! I can't wait until he's rich and famous.

How cute is he?

Only two more days left of the workweek!! I get Cesar Chavez day off, which also happens to be April Fool's day this year. Yay for three day weekends!

Television Debut

The last few days have been incredibly stressful. You already know I got a RIF, aka pink slip, but yesterday I found out that even if it gets rescinded, the enrollment at my school is going down so much that they won't have a position for me there next year. This means that, best case scenario, I will be put on a list of displaced teachers and I could be placed anywhere in the district. Since I've only been teacher for four years, other displaced teachers will be ahead of me in line and take the jobs at the decent schools and I'll get whatever school is left. Basically, I need to find a job outside of the district no matter what. I'm trying to see it as an opportunity for growth, but that doesn't make it any less stressful. If I could stay at my school, I would, but that isn't an option at this point.

On to happier news, I was checking the HGTV website yesterday and saw that our episode is in the schedule with a little description. My husband doesn't want me to tell anyone when it's on because he's nervous that we'll look like fools, but I can't keep it to myself.

From the website:

"Emily helps the Carters combine their clashing styles into one clean and contemporary look. A quick tour of the home and a style diagnostic determine this newlywed couple is a combination of Chic Boutique and Rustic American. With a concept in mind, Emily re-styles the Carters living/dining space, layer-by-layer. Her first look is inspired by the sophisticated feel of a boutique hotel. Clean lines, glossy textures and low-level furnishings create a sleek and savvy environment for this trendy young pair. For her second look, Emily incorporates a few rustic, colonial-style furnishings for a warmer, more all-American feel."


The episode is titled "Mantique Minimalism" and will air April 2nd at 9pm. If you have DirecTV, you can watch it at 6pm on the west coast. Tell your friends!

SFAS Premiere!

Last night, we set our DVR to record the first episode of Secrets from a Stylist on HGTV and headed out to celebrate. We started off the night at our favorite happy hour place: Flemings. It was packed and we had to hover over a table for 45 minutes before they finally left and we sat down. We had my favorite appetizers: beef carpaccio (thinly sliced raw beef with capers and some sort of sauce that you pile on top of cheesy toast), fried calamari with a sweet bell pepper sauce, and seared ahi with spicy mustard. I had a clear cosmo and then switched to water so I could drive to Hollywood for the party.

I really wish we had taken a picture of the two of us because we looked pretty cute. I wore a new dress that I scored at Banana Republic outlet for $20. It was originally $80! I had on my 81 cent tights and $40 patent leather pumps. It was a bargain outfit for sure. My husband had on my favorite outfit: white dress shirt, plaid tie, and black sweater with slim jeans and shiny shoes (well, not really shiny, but nice black dress shoes). It was so fun to get all dressed up and go out. We rarely do that!

After paying way too much for parking in Hollywood and walking a few blocks in the FREEZING cold (too bad it didn't snow), we got to the party at Hemingway's.

The decor of this place is pretty cool. The walls are covered in books and typewriters. I think I want an antique typewriter for the office...

Emily gave a little speech and thanked her crew and the homeowners (that's us!). She is in the very back of this picture, but it is hard to see.

You can see her better here.

This is the face I made most of the night. I was having a lot of fun. I got to drink and my husband switched to water so he could drive home. I'm hurting this morning.

Emily was kind enough to pose for a picture with me. Sometimes I think I annoy her and other times she makes me feel like we're friends. I'd like to believe the latter.

See that guy in the background with the long hair who is talking with his hands? That's Ian Brennan, co-creator of Glee!! Emily is friends with him and she styled his house for her SFAS special. My husband helped me say hi to him since I'm so shy. He was super nice. We also talked to who we thought was the editor (he was behind us while we were waiting to be let in my the dude with the clipboard and said he knew us because he just finished cutting our episode), but we found out that he is actually the owner of the production company, Tricon Films. He was also really nice.

We just watched episode #1 and it was awesome!! It is so scary to think that we'll be watching our own episode soon. I'm terrified. The biggest surprise for us was that they used the couple's application video on the show. When we applied, the casting people said that they wouldn't be using the video for the show, but it looks like they are going to! Eeek!! I'm so nervous to see how it all comes together.

Be sure to set your DVRs to record the whole series of Secrets from a Stylist on HGTV! We're episode #6 which should air on April 2nd unless they skip a week, but watch all the episode because they will all be awesome.

Another random post

I like these random thoughts posts, so I'm giving you another one.

I got to be in the audience for the filming of the Glee regionals episode the other night. I got to go last year, too, but this year was way better because we got to see all 3 groups perform (they don't sing live, but it is still pretty cool) and we saw 4 songs total. Last year, we only saw one performance, but they did it over and over again. Plus, it wasn't New Directions - for all you non-Gleeks out there, that is the main cast's group. There were also some celebrity guest judges, though you'll have to wait for the show for that bit of info.

I haven't been to the gym in a while. I'm feeling really crumby about it and I'm hoping to get my butt back in gear this weekend.

My week of being a vegan went really well. It was surprisingly easy and I felt really good. I had meat and cheese for Valentine's night dinner, and though I had every intention of going back to being vegan again, I haven't been following the rules since. I think it is just too difficult, especially living with someone who wants to eat animal products.

Secrets from a Stylist premieres tomorrow night at 9pm on HGTV!! It isn't our episode, but I've seen some pictures of the home and it looks pretty amazing. You should definitely watch, or at least set your DVRs if you plan on going out.

We get to go to the press launch party as Emily's guests. I have my outfit all planned and am so excited to get all dressed up and go out with my husband. The party is in Hollywood and while it will probably be raining (maybe even snowing!!), I know it'll be a blast.

TTC update: I haven't had a visit from Aunt Flo since I got it in December after taking Provera. I keep feeling like I'm going to get it and then I don't. I've never hoped and prayed to get my period like this before. I've always wanted to avoid it at all costs. I'll go in to the doctor in a couple of weeks to get the whole clomid thing started. I'm not really looking forward to it, but I'm hoping it works because after reading about what I'll have to do next over at Always Looking for Something New, I don't know if I will be able to handle it. I definitely can't give myself shots everyday.

I actually discussed this with my husband last night and he said he'd give me the shots. So romantic.

I'm so excited for the Oscars on Sunday. I can't wait to see Natalie Portman and I really hope she wins. She's my favorite.

I went to Kohl's today to get some tights for tomorrow and picked a pair that I thought were $10. I only had to pay 81 cents including tax. That is cray-cray.

Off to snuggle with my puppies on this cold rainy night. Have a great weekend!

Here's to our health!

It has taken me almost 28 years to realize that if I exercise, I have more energy and feel better about myself. I know I've read it and heard it more than a million times, but I guess I never truly believed it until now.

{pretty tulips in my new living room}

Since filming is over, I don't have the pressure to go to the gym every day like I had been. However, I missed 4 days this week and instead of feeling energetic like I had been for the past few weeks, I felt really sluggish and tired. I guess I had never noticed the difference before when I had worked out in the past. Is this what you call maturity?

I've also been noticing that a lot of bloggers I follow are talking an awful lot about dieting and weight loss lately. Most of them are so focused on getting down to a specific number on a scale and it has really stuck a chord with me.

I don't weigh myself. I'm not sure if I really have lost weight in the past few weeks, but I feel a whole lot better about myself. I might weigh exactly the same, but who cares? As long as I feel good and am making healthy choices, who cares what the scale says? No, I don't eat healthy all the time, but I've been trying to live a balanced life and that means I can have a burrito or some candy once in a while, I just shouldn't indulge in those things everyday.

Last week while I was staying at my parents' house, my brother and I played a little wii fit. I did the little fitness test and it told me my weight. That number made me feel horrible. It isn't high by many people's standards, but I don't like it. My BMI was dead center normal, but the number on the scale made me feel fat.

A few days later, I clicked on a link from my twitter friend Ali and found this blog post where the woman documents how dramatically different she looked over a period of a few months, but her weight was exactly the same. Now I'm convinced I shouldn't weigh myself.

What do you think? Do you weigh yourself every morning? Once a week? Never? Why?