End of the "Ten Pound Challenge"

Can you guess I didn't reach my "Ten Pound Challenge"? If you follow Fork in Food you'll know that all I've been doing this month is eat and eat and eat!! Hey you only turn forty once, right? So I milked it for all I had...and more...

The "I'm turning forty" excuse was fabulous!! All I had to do was say that and I could do no wrong! I got to go away for two weekends alone without kids and hubby and that has never happened before. I also got to go out with my friends all month without any complaints. I even bought myself things that I would never have bought but all in the name of FORTY!!

Forty is FABULOUS so far!! Can't wait to see if the next eleven months is as much fun. I have to say that so far this has been the best birthday EVER!!

(By the way, I still managed to lose four pounds even with all that eating. )

Goodbye thirty-something...hello f@$%!!

Haha I couldn't resist posting part of my scrapbook page that I made for my friend's 40th birthday in March. We had so much fun teasing him about his wrinkles and white hair...he doesn't really have any...but now it's finally my turn and ain't not so funny. Today's my last day in the thirties...hitting that dreaded milestone year tomorrow. I'm not too sure I'm ready...but ready or not here I come...

It been a great build up to my birthday so far. My friends and I have been celebrating all month. In fact most of us will be turning f$&% this year too and we are making it a year long celebration. At the end of the month another bunch of us are taking three days to go shopping in Grove City, PA. Can't wait!! Hehehe...eating, shopping and more eating. Isn't that the best?

I still really can't believe I'm going to be forty tomorrow. I'm not expecting much tomorrow since my hubby is away on business. I'm sure it will be just like any other day. The kids even have an 8am dentist appointment so I don't even get to sleep in!

When I was young I remember thinking how forty was so old and now I'm thinking I still feel so young. I'm hoping that this will be a new start. Hmmm....perhaps I should make some " New Decade Resolutions" like:

• de-clutter and simply my life


• start eating healthier


• make an effort to excercise


• smile/laugh more


• ensure I get some "me" time once a week


• stop being such a Screamin' Mama

Hopefully these won't be like New Year's Resolutions which are broken the very next day. I'm going into the next half of my life with tons of experience and hopefully I won't make the same kind of mistakes as I did before. Live life and experience joy! That's my new motto!

Too old to party?

I'm back from a weekend full of shopping and eating. I am totally exhausted!! I could barely function today but it was a birthday celebration that I will never forget. It was the best birthday EVER!!

We left early Saturday morning for Buffalo and didn't get to our hotel until 11pm!! We were so tired but wired from a great dinner and amazing deals. We hit the outlet mall first and spent only four hours there and then rushed to meet the group for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory...after dinner we were keen to hit Target since it closes at 10pm. My girlfriend was looking for some Turkey Spam so we decided to try our luck at Tops which never closes.

We staggered back to the hotel by 11pm but still stayed up until almost 1am chatting and giggling like school girls. We got up early to hit Target and the mall again and then back to the outlet mall. We wanted to be home early but as we approached the border we were shocked at the line up. It would have been at least a two hour wait. We decided to ramp off and have dinner before heading home. Ponderosa was the restaurant of choice...brought back fond memories of my childhood since there are no longer any in Toronto. After dinner we headed to Target to walk off that bloated feeling everyone had and to kill another hour before daring to go back to the border. We didn't get home until 11pm.

It was my first time away from the hubby and kids ever! It was definitely strange not having to worry about anyone else...thinking about what the kids might like to eat...nice to do whatever we wanted without a schedule.

So much fun that we are thinking about making this an annual trip. It's funny when we were in our twenties a great time meant eating out and then dancing 'til the wee hours of the night. Now we get our pleasure from eating and getting the best deals. Whatever makes you happy, right? Well below is what made me so happy for under $200!!!

Five pairs of running shoes for the whole family, pair of jeans, welcome mat, towel rack, two towels, variety of Goldfish crackers, three cans of tennis balls, and a huge bag of soaps and air fresheners from Bath and Body Works.