Sherri, I hope you read this.

Do you ever have light bulb moments that come to you so clearly? Have you ever known someone for so long only to learn something new about them...and that something new changes your life? I am blessed in my line of work to get very personal with people. My clients tell me of their joy, their pain, their secrets, their deepest desires. I have laughed, and cried with them. In my 9 years of doing hair I have been so blessed to know some of the most amazing men and women. I have been inspired and encouraged, and have learned so much from some of these people. I feel like it has really shaped my life. I look up some of these people with the up most admiration.

Yesterday one of these people shared her light with me and I know God had answered her prayers, and by so doing, answered mine. Sherri and I had the most enlightening talk about this whole weight loss game. She has been a client of mine for almost 7 years. We have shared our struggles, and our victories MANY times! Weight loss has been the topic of our conversations during many of her hair appointments...but never like it was yesterday. A switch has flipped in her, and by sharing it with me, a switch flipped in me.

It is hard to put feelings into words, but I am going to try. What I learned yesterday, is that I have been going at this the wrong way my whole life. my motivations have been wrong. My mental state, my spiritual state has never been healed along side my physical state. My focus has always been on the physical results...all the while ignoring the most important part...my soul. I have never asked God to heal me...I have never asked God to take this from me...I have never stopped to ask him what his will is. Sure, I have prayed long and hard to see results and to feel better about myself. But, I have never once asked to be healed. With over eating and weight issues come a lot of scars and wounds. For me, I have a life time of them. How could I, a spiritual being, have forgotten entirely to ask for healing for my spirit? How could I expect the help I desired so much if I failed to ask? How could I expect to be guided when I wasn't giving the glory to God. Sherri reminded me that we are to glorify God in all things, and give him the credit. I have taken it all for myself.

Just like any other addiction, or trial, or pain, we are told to turn it over to God, let him heal you...prove him. Sherri mentioned the scripture "Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you," what does this mean? Pray, and you will get it?? NO, it means turn it over to the Lord, and HE will show you what HE is capable of.

I hope that in some way this all makes sense. I hope Sherri reads this, and knows that her desires of being a witness have been met. Sherri, your wisdom has struck me. I am changed, thank you for sharing. I hope you know how much I love and appreciate you! I pray that those of you reading this will feel the change I have felt. I know this may seem a bit deep for a weight loss blog...but I want to share every aspect of this journey I am on. I hope someone else can be healed from it.

A Worthy Substitute!

I am a big fan of just about anything that Fiber One makes, so I decided to try their pancake mix. It is pretty good. A bit chewier, but all in all not bad. I skipped the syrup and topped it with fresh strawberries and lite Cool Whip! A little side note, and this may be TMI, but be selective about how often you eat Fiber One products, I was eating their chewy bars every day until I realized they were the reason I was having such bad gas. I had these pancakes this morning and had no trouble today.

I would sell my soul for this salsa....ok...maybe not?!?!?

On a whim today, I bought THIS mango peach salsa at Albertson's to take to a play date. Trust me, you will love this stuff. Salsa is such a great diet food because it is packed with veggies! This salsa may be slightly higher in calories since it has fruit in it, but a little goes a long way. I found it in the refrigerated section where they keep the cheese and bacon.

So tonight I made a chicken dish with the rest of it to take to a friend who just had a baby...I didn't try it, but it looked and smelled amazing, and as soon as I get back to the store, I will be making some for myself!

I made this for a family of seven, so the portions were large. This could easily be made to fit any family. I didn't really measure, I just kind of tossed and estimated!!

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper
In a large frying pan brown chicken breasts for about 3 mins each side.
Place browned Chicken breasts in a large baking dish
cover breasts with salsa
sprinkle with light mozzarella cheese(I used about 3/4 cup for a large casserole dish of chicken)
Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 25-30 mins
Serve with veggies or Quinoa

ENJOY!

TIP ALERT:

Check out the link for more wonderful recipes!!

Stuffed Sweeeeeeeet Potatoes!

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE sweet potatoes. I love them in any shape or form they make them in!! I found this recipe tonight in my WW cook book, and it is s HUGE thumbs up! This was a real treat. If you like sweet potatoes, you will LOVE this!

6 small sweet potatoes
1 15 oz. can pear halves
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup pecans chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Wrap potatoes in foil; bake at 375 for 50 mins or until done. Let cool slightly. Cut a slit in top of potato; carefully scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4 inch shell.

3. Drain pears, reserving 1/4 cup juice. Place pear halves and reserved juice in a food processor; process until smooth. Add potato pulp, sugar, and salt; process until blended. Stir in cranberries and 4 tbls. pecans.

4. Stuff shells with pulp mixture; sprinkle tops with remaining pecans. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and return to the oven for 10 mins.

TIP ALERT:

I used Splenda brown sugar blend instead of regular brown sugar.

Also, I tossed my potato in the microwave for 3 mins first and then cooked it for 30 mins in the oven.

I hadn't eaten all day so I had a chicken breast along with mine, but alone this recipe is 5 points!!

Enjoy!

Double the Fiber...I Say Double the Flavor!

Once again my amazing Weight Watchers Queen Sister told me about an amazing product! I already LOVE Oro Wheat Double Fiber Whole Wheat Bread, but THESE new English Muffins are AMAZING! My sis told me she spreads a little bit of Nutella on them and tops that with a sliced banana! I made a breakfast sandwich with one last night and they are super moist, and super tasty! I even liked them better than regular English Muffins!

ONLY 5 DAYS LEFT TO ENTER!

If you are a reader of my blog...don't forget to enter THIS giveaway. I will be picking the winner on May 1st...so make sure to sign up!!

Love Your Salads Again!!

This salad was AMAZING! I bought this WW cook book at Savers the other day, and this is the first recipe I have tried out of it...may I just say...MAJOR success. My husband ate 2 huge bowls of it!

SALAD:

12 c Spring Mix Lettuce
1 Green Pear Chopped
1 Red Pear Chopped
3 oz Blue Cheese
1lb Chicken breast
1 can Chicken Broth
1 c White cooking wine

In a large skillet bring the broth and wine to a boil
add chicken and boil for 15 min, or until cooked through. Slice chicken into diagonal pieces and combine with other ingredients.

Warm Bacon Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup chopped red onion
3 slices turkey bacon choppped
1/2 c chicken broth
1/3 cider vinegar
1 tbl Splenda brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp pepper

Coat a non stick skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium high heat until hot. Add chopped onion and bacon adn saute' 10 mins or until bacon is crisp and onions are tender. Remove skillet from heat and add remaining ingredients. Stirring until sugar is dissolved.

To serve:
6 servings
2 c greens
3 oz chicken
4 pear slices
1/2 oz blue cheese (1/8 cup)
2 1/2 tbls. vinaigrette

5 points

TIP ALERT:

I added about 1/3 cup chopped onion to the chicken as it was boiling in the broth and wine.

Smart ones..mmmm mmmm

A lot of freezer meals taste like salt, or have horrible food particles trying to pass themselves off as vegetables...but I must say honestly, the Smart Ones meals are pretty good. My two new favorites are the calzones, and the cranberry turkey medallions. The calzones are pretty darn yummy, and the veggies in the turkey dish, are actually pretty fresh tasting and even on the crisp side! I buy about 5 of these at a time and throw them in the freezer at work when I don't have time to make a fresh meal. They are great and HERE is a link for you where you can get more info and a COUPON!!!

Let me know which ones you try and love! Good Eating!

Skinny Cow, Skinny Cow I love You...Yes I do!!

Some of you may think I am a bit late to the game on this one...but last night I discovered what may be my new favorite thing on the planet...Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich's. I tried the mint chocolate chip flavor, and was in love. At Winco there are at least 4 other flavors for me to fall in love with! HERE is a link where you can sign up to get coupons for other products. The cool thing about their site, is you can see all point values for Weight Watchers right on the site! LOVE IT!

Here is a little tip...from me to you!

So when I got married, one of the many amazing things I learned from my mother was to plan meals out for the week, and then only grocery shop for the items needed to make those meals. This is a great money saver and it cuts down on rotten food being thrown out, it saves time each day, and for me, it eliminated last minute binges like ordering pizza the other night because there was "nothing to eat" (allegedly!)

I have gotten away from this little habit, and this week decided to start it back up! I found this amazing Weight Watchers cook book at Savers for $2 in brand new shape...and I can't wait to try out the delicious recipes! So, HERE is a link where you can download this adorable meal planner. I will probably laminate it and use dry erase markers so I don't have to print a thousand!

What I do is sit down on sunday nights and grab all of my favorite cook books. I try to have a mix of old faves and some new recipes. I write the meal down on my planner plus which cookbook it is in and the page it is on...sometimes I forget which book I found it in. Then, as I am picking the recipes, I have another piece of paper next to me that I write down the ingredients that I need to buy to make those recipes. Trust me..this will save you from EVER having to say...so what shall I make tonight!

I Startin' with the (Wo)man in the Mirror

I have spent most all of my life on the "chubby side". My first memories of being made fun of for my weight start in 3rd grade. My first memories of feeling uncomfortable with my weight start before I can really remember. I found an old diary of mine from 1st grade a while back and sat crying while I read it and looked at the drawings I had made of what I thought my body looked like. How can such a young girl have such hatred for her body? Where did this come from in me? I have no idea...I really don't. It seems as though I have spent the last 27 years fighting this demon within me that I have not been able to prevail over. I can HONESTLY say that for as long as I can remember, my poor body image has consumed my mind most of the day. Any new situation that I walked into was fraught with feelings of anxiety about my looks, my body, my make up, my hair, my choice of clothing, but mostly my body. As sick as it sounds, I always tried to find someone in "worse" than me, and if I couldn't do that, then I would try harder to be the loudest, the funniest, the one with the craziest hair, or the most make-up. This is a vicious cycle that has haunted me my entire life.

I think this had a lot to do with my decision to become a hair stylist. It is easy for me to make other people feel beautiful...I don't want this to sound braggy, but it comes easy to me, I have always been good at making others look and feel amazing. I love that part of my life. I love helping other people feel good. It seems ironic that I would have a natural talent in making others look good, but I have always struggled with what I see in the mirror. It is a joke with some of my clients that I have learned how to stand in front of a mirror all day and not see myself in it. I have become a master at avoiding my reflection.

Here is my dilemma...that girl is being forced out of the building...I am evicting her...she is literally melting away...and...I am not sure that I know how to be anyone else. I struggle with becoming the kind of person that I always felt I had to hate. I don't know how to be a truly confident person...it has always been a show...a facade...a fraud. Several times this week my mind jumped into its old habits and I caught myself adjusting my shirt, and checking out the room, and making sure my reflection was sucking in...only to realize, I don't need to do those things ANYMORE. I am no longer that person. I HAVE LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT. I have earned every ounce and I should be proud of it. My husband and I had a little staycation right here in Boise and for the first time in a long time, I felt proud of my body, and the feelings of being stared at and the feelings of insecurity weren't there...but it felt weird...I realize now that I have a lot of things to re-learn.
1) I can no longer tell my reflection how much I hate it. NO MORE.
2) Learn to take a compliment...no more deflecting or self trashing
3) Enjoy the spoils, learn to love my new body and my new lifestyle
4) See what other people see...and accept myself
5) Enjoy where I am at and what I am doing...get my mind in the game and focus on the people I am with. Clear my mind of self centered body image issues.
6) I have to stop hating other woman who are thin, or who look better after babies than before, or leave the hospital in their skinny jeans.
NO MORE HATING!

This all seems so daunting. I found myself wondering the other night if I would ever be able to do it. Will April Johnson ever love herself? Will I ever feel like the person other people think I am? As my mind went over these thoughts, I noticed my heart racing...kind of like it is racing right now. I truly don't know if 27 years of feelings and fears and anxieties can be undone.

I felt the need to write this...whether people read it or not, I don't care. It has been cathartic for me, and hopefully, someone who reads this can relate...and feel less alone. I know that with a lot of practice, prayer and support, I can become the person I am meant to be. Along with all of my worries, I have found liberation. I now have the freedom to become someone better, someone happier, someone more connected. My family and my friends will move up on my priority list, I will become a better listener...I will live in the moment. Look out world...I am about to arrive!

Healthified Chocolate Lava Cake

Here is a picture of a Molten Lava Cake...well, thanks to my amazing sister, we have a healthified version to share with you!

1 can diet cherry coke
1 box devils food cake mix
1/2 plain yogurt
sugar free dark chocolate Jell-o pudding snack pack
lite Cool Whip

Mix the Cherry Coke with the Cake mix and bake according to box directions

While still warm put the pudding and cool whip on top! Add berries if desired!

This recipe is about 3 points each!

ENJOY!

Here They Are!! Before and Kind of After!!!

After a year of dieting and working out I have lost 30 pounds are here are the pics I took tonight. It was bath time for little man, so my shirt is kind of a mess! I am far less horrified to post these pics than I was to post the first ones!!
I am getting there~ I call these my kind of after pics because I am hoping for at least one more set where I will be another 10 pounds lighter!

Does This Look Like Diet Food to You?

I promise, I am not going to spend every day blogging about every little thing I eat, but today just happened to be a winner as far as food goes!

I have bragged about the Bear Creek soups before, but tonight I tried a new flavor, and I feel the need to share the joy of these amazing soups again. This is the minestrone soup with a few ad-ins by me!

I made the soup according to directions and then added 1 lb of Italian Turkey Sausage, one can of Yellow Corn, and a dollop of Fat Free Sour Cream. Then, I made my favorite little pita chips by slicing up half of a pita, splitting them in half and then broiling them in the oven with a bit of butter flavored spray and some salt. This meal was amazing, and only 5 points for a cup and a half of soup! I still have yet to find these soup mixes cheaper than Win-co...take my word for it, and try them! You will love it!

Best Fast Food Lunch EVER!!

This new salad from Carl's Jr. Is THE BEST! It is the cranberry, apple, walnut salad, and I am now in love with it! Here is what I did to make it a bit more diet friendly...I took out the cheese, and IMMEDIATELY threw it away so I wouldn't be tempted!!! Then I asked for Balsamic dressing instead of the raspberry dressing that came with it. Then, I only used half of the dressing that came with it...and trust me, that was plenty. The chicken was so moist and so warm and it was amazing. What I love about this is that the walnuts and cranberries were a REASONABLE portion size about 2 tbs. of each. This salad was filling, and amazing, and the apples were crisp. BIG thumbs up from me!

If I ate the salad as is without my tweaking it would be 6 points...not bad but with my little tweaks I am guessing it was about 4 points!

SO YUMMY! Try one and let me know what you think! There is not a current coupon for the salads, but if you follow THIS link, you can sign up to receive promotional information from Carl's Jr. Just don't make the same mistake that I did and watch the stupid Kim Kardashian video...it is painful, she is such a joke...even if I am crazy jealous of her body...what??

You can also join them on Facebook by following THIS link!

Enjoy!!

Celebrate good times...COME ON~

So, after my little sob story about the Plateau I have hit, I lost 1.8lbs after a hard workout and a strict few days! So, why the celebration you ask?? WELL...let me just tell you! I HAVE LOST 30 LBS!!!!! Yup 30 big ones. Those 30 pounds have taken three years to come off. A few of those pounds have come off and on a few times, but NEVER all 30. I weigh less than I did when I got preggers with little man! I hate to brag, but I have worked my you know what off, and it has been one long long long road fraught with many crazy diets, lots and lots of working out, and sadly a lot of tears and disappointment. So, 10 more pounds to go until my goal weight, and if I get lucky, it won't take a year to do it!!

Chicken Pot Pie

I LOVVVVEEEEE chicken pot pie...I always have. My husband makes this KILLER Paula Dean reicpe...that has an entire stick of butter in it...those days are long gone! I enjoyed while it lasted, but thus, I must find a healthier version! I think this recipe is my fave so far. I had to tweak it a bit since the recipe called for very little seasoning and was pretty bland.

I have found in this diet journey that a lot of recipes look like home made food but end up being a lot of processed food put together to look like real food. Now don't get me wrong, I like easy food the same as the next mommy, but I really am trying to cook authentic food that comes from whole foods more often. It may take a bit longer, but I really do enjoy cooking and I really do enjoy the end product!

So, that being said, here is a GREAT recipe for Chicken Pot pie!

1 lb uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cups water
1/2 cup white cooking wine or chicken broth
2 cubes chicken bouillon cubes, crumbled
2 medium carrots chopped
1 cup frozen peas
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
3tbsp. flour
5 oz. fat free evaporated milk
1 can of corn, or 1 1/2 cups frozen
6 sheets of Phyllo dough

• Place chicken, water, wine and bouillon cubes in a medium pan. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook gently, uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Set aside one cup of broth and chop chicken into chunks.
  
  
• Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Coat a deep 8-inch (20cm) pie dish with cooking spray.
  
  
• Microwave carrots and peas for 2 minutes. Drain. Heat oil in a medium nonstick pan, add onions and cook until soft. Stir in flour and cook over low heat for 2 minutes.
  
  
• Remove pan from heat and stir in milk and reserved broth. Return to heat and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Add carrots, peas, chicken and corn.
  
  
• Pour chicken into prepared dish. Layer sheets of phyllo over pie, trim edges and press down firmly to seal. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, lower temperature to 350ºF (180ºC) and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes more.

TIP ALERT:

I ended up kind of tossing a few spices here and there...a bit of curry...a bit of paprika...a bit of celery salt...ect ect. I also added some celery because I didn't have any peas on hand.

Plateau

This is a beautiful picture...is it not?? Plateau's in nature can be so beautiful, and at the same time kind of mysterious?? How does something in nature get so flat? Well, then how come a plateau on the scale isn't so beautiful? I wish I knew! Sometimes they can be equally mysterious...but the one I am on, isn't so mysterious. I feel kind of like I am on a plateau in my life right now. I am eating within my points, but I am eating what is easy. I am working out the bare minimum, which, due to a knee injury that brings me horrible pain isn't really my fault...I am kind of just floating by. I started this blog because I wanted to be accountable, so in the spirit of Honesty, and accountability...here it is...I have been slacking...big time. I was starving last night and I ate about a half a cup of chocolate chips...just because. Then when I looked them up on my points tracker, I about vomited...10 POINTS! ARRGGGGHHH! I will NEVER do that again. So, it is Monday, and I am back in control. I went to the store and stocked up on fruit and veggies, and I am GOING to loose weight this week if it kills me!

If you are reading this....

Hey, don't forget about the giveaway! If you are reading this, and you are not a follower, JUST DO IT! Become a follower and be entered for a giveaway! I posted this a week or so ago where you can find all of the details!

Thanksgiving in April!!

I know that eating pumpkin flavored things seems like more of a fall thing, but let me just assure you, this little jewel will have you wanting pumpkin every day! My sister is a big fan of this WW recipe, but I was always so satisfied with the chocolate cheat cake, that I never felt like trying in. So on a whim, I bought the ingredients, and I must say, I think I am in love. This is the most moist, delicious cake I have ever eaten, dieting or not dieting! I served this with Cool Whip and it was divine! If you divide a 9x13 cake into 20 pieces, it is only 1.5 points per piece!!!! Here is the recipe:

1 box spice cake mix
15 oz pumpkin puree
1/2 cup water

Mix, spread into a 9x13 pan...batter will be thick.
Bake according to directions
ENJOY...TRUST ME, YOU WILL EEEENNNNNJOOOOYYY!

TIP ALERT:
If you use plain pumpkin puree it is 1.5 points
If you use pumpkin pie filling it is 3 points.

Also

I wanted to link you to THIS website. I found some amazing recipes on here!
I wanted a way to use the other 15 oz. of pumpkin puree left over from my cake, and I found a recipe that is drumroll please....ZERO POINTS!!!

If you find the pumpkin flavor too strong, you can add a banana to the mix.

Weight Watchers Fat-Free Pumpkin Pudding recipe
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 (1 1/3 ounce) box sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup water

Preparation
1. Mix the water and pudding together until there are no more lumps.
2. Bring to a slow boil in a saucepan.
3. Stir frequently.
4. Remove from heat and fold in pumpkin and spices.
5. Pour into 8 small serving cups.
6. Refrigerate 2 hours until firm.
7. Top with fat free whipped topping to serve.

WW POINTS per serving: 0
Nutritional information per serving: 16 calories, 0.1g fat, 0.3g fiber

I CAN NOT wait to try this!

Much More Than Juice!!

Do you ever find yourself having a hard time getting in ALL of your fruit and veggie servings everyday?? I sure do. I am not much of a veggie eater, so it is hard for me to do it day after day...plus it gets hard keeping enough fruits and veggies in the house without having to go to the grocery store every other day! My trainer introduced me to V8 fusions, and I LOVE THEM!! One 8 oz glass is worth a serving of veggies and fruit...and BONUS...they are actually pretty good!
So enjoy THIS coupon and try them out!

Also



The NEW Crystal Light PureFitness. I tried this yesterday and it was pretty good as well. It wasn't as flavorful as the regular stuff, and it does have 15 calories per serving, but here is the good part...

It's the first Crystal Light with no artificial sweeteners, flavors or preservatives. Not to mention it has electrolytes and comes in three delicious flavors!!

I even read on one blog that she mixed the grape flavor into soda water and it was amazing!

I couldn't find a coupon for this, but I heard they are on sale this week at Albertson's, so go try them and let me know what you think!

Oh the Holidays

Well, I had many intentions to NOT over do it this holiday, and stay far away from the cheap chocolate that we have all over the house, but, to my disgust, I partook. HOW oh how are we ever to reflect at the end of a holiday and be proud of ourselves?? However, I will say this. Tomorrow is a new day, a new week, and I have a new motivation...to work off the extra calories I ate today!!

I think part of my overload today comes from the severe disappointment that I have not lost weight for this whole week. As a matter of fact, I put on .2 pounds. So today, I felt a bit defeated. Then, to top it all off, for some stupid reason I put a full length mirror in my closet...an item I have not owned for about 3 years. It seemed like a good idea yesterday after I cleaned my closet and re organized all of my clothes and jewelry...but then...this morning as I was getting dressed...after feeling a bit depressed already...there it was...my reflection...caught in the corner of my eye...staring me down. Maybe my mental eye was distorted and maybe because I was already feeling like a failure, all I saw looking back at me was failure. So I did what I always do when I feel defeated by my body, I stuff it full of garbage and punish it.

But, I will prevail, and on this day when we celebrate new life, I am going to be grateful for my life, and my chance to renew my motivation and my resolve. Tomorrow is a new day!!

Healthified Strawberry Crepes!

My family loves breakfast food for dinner...in fact, I am sure all of your families love breakfast food for dinner. I don't know why, but it is something that always makes dinner feel like a special occasion. I especially LOVE crepes. However, these little lovelies can be costly if you are not careful. So, I tweaked the recipe a bit, and JACKPOT...we have another winner. So, for 5.5 points you can help yourself to 4 crepes, a cup of sliced strawberries, and about 3 tbs. of lite Cool Whip. Here is what I did.

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 packet Truvia sweetener
2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup Egg Beaters original
2 tbs. vegetable oil

Mix all dry ingredients

Whisk together all wet ingredients

Combine the two slowly and whisk until smooth

Let stand at room temp 15 mins

Spray inside of small skillet or crepe pan with non stick spray. Careful, too much spray will ruin the crepe.

Add about 2-3 tbs of batter to the pan and spin the pan around coating entire bottom of pan with batter.

Brown lightly on each side

Stuff crepe with about 1/4 cup strawberries

Top with Cool Whip Lite

Enjoy!!!

Be Prepared

My friend and I were talking the other day about one of the major diet pitfalls, and it was preparedness. I know that when I don't have healthy choices at my finger tips, it is easy to slip up. Yesterday at work, I had not prepared my own lunches, and I spent most of the day starving, then binging on whatever I could find, then came home and ate half of my daily points in about an hour?!?!?! So, my goal for next week is to be prepared! I am sure there are some great tips out there...anyone got stuff to share? I would love to hear any ideas!!