Let's Get Flirty!

As a rule, I'm very accepting of the fact that I'm not a size 2 woman. I'm a healthy size 18 and I'm more than okay with that. However, there are certain times when I long to be something other than what I am not. Specifically, when it comes to purchasing lingerie. I love sexy lingerie just like the next person, but honestly, trying to find something that is flattering and attractive and plus size, isn't always as easy as it would seem. It shouldn't be a chore to seek out beautiful plus size lingerie. Flirtylingerie.com has come to my rescue as well as that of every plus sized woman out there who yearns to feel beautiful and sexy in the bedroom. They have a fantastic selection in a wide variety of sizes ranging from extra large to 6X.

I found several plus size corsets that I fell in love with. Decisions, decisions! So if you're like me and constantly on the lookout for sexy plus size lingerie then I highly recommend that you mosey on over to Flirtylingerie.com. Click the link in the left hand column for Plus Size and let the shopping begin. I now know how I'll be spending the remainder of my evening as well as the remainder of my Christmas money!

Just my thought

It seems these days everyone is opting for lap band surgery in an effort to lose weight. I think it's great for some people. Some individuals just simply can't lose weight with diet alone. Their metabolisms just won't allow it. Thankfully, I have a metabolism that will cooperate with me as long as I eat the way I'm supposed to eat and exercise. I don't think I could do the lap band procedure. I don't want my life to be dictated by what I can and cannot do as far as food is concerned. However I realize, some people just don't have any other options and it's necessary for their health and their life expectancy. Now I need to stop drinking this Coke I have in front of me and go for a glass of water! *sigh*

Miss is a terrible word

I am homesick. Terribly. I miss everything about home. I miss my family. I miss my boyfriend. I miss being able to go to Wal-Mart during the middle of the night. I miss being able to read the directions on a cake mix or reading the labels at the grocery store. I miss Mountain Dew and a 12 pack of Coke in the refrigerator. I miss things being in inches and miles versus centimeters and kilometers. I miss all of it and more. Sometimes I think I royally screwed up!

I've got my eyes on you...but do they see?

Let's face it. Some of us have to wear glasses whether we like it or not. It's a fact of life and a matter of seeing or walking into walls. So if I'm going to have to wear them, I at least want to look pretty trendy and fashionable. It's also NOT attractive walking into walls. I've been checking out ZenniOptical.com and I even saw Zenni on Fox. I tend to watch Fox a great deal so I wasn't surprised that I saw Zenni advertising there. But it did reaffirm that I like what they have to offer. I don't have to pay an arm and two legs to be able to afford their frames and their selection is top notch! I've already got my sights set on a few specific frames that I wouldn't mind having. Now if I could just manage to go and get an updated prescription, I'll be in business!

Baby it's cold outside!

Who would have thought that I'd have to come to the Netherlands and get an entire new wardrobe. It's nearly August and it's freezing outside. The temperatures haven't gotten above 60 degrees for the last week. I'm about to freeze my assets off, to say the least! I guess a new stylish jacket is in the forecast for my shopping future. Now let's just hope I can find something that is stylish and doesn't break the bank!

It's just my style

I have gotten rid of so many clothes in the last two or three days. I didn't know I had so much stuff in my collective wardrobe. I had things I didn't even know I owned. If I would have kept digging through the closet, I probably could have rounded up a pair of BDU pants. No, I've never been in the military, but that's the thing about my wardrobe. It consists of a little bit of almost everything and every style. I guess you could say it's eclectic yet highly fashionable. I find that the only way to go!

Stressed

I'm doing good with obtaining the necessary finances for my plane ticket butI'm still nervous that I'm going to fall short of my goal. I've seriously thought about taking out a personal. At this point right now, I've got about half of what I need. I realize I'm not leaving for another 90 days but I'd love to secure the ticket as soon as possible so that I can lock in my fare and not have to worry about the prices raising...yet again! I'll play it by ear for a little bit and see what happens. I'm going to have a yard sale and try to raise some funds that way. I just need to stop stressing and relax and have fun planning this move. It will all come together!

Something new for my future

Being single has its advantages and its disadvantages. One of the disadvantages is dating. Personally, I can't stand dating. It's a chore. It's sometimes humiliating trying to go through the whole "new couple" phase. I try to get to know someone before I ever go out with them, but invariably you'll still come across that person that is on a totally different page than yourself as far as the future is concerned. I've recently discovered MyFutureSpouse.com. The greatest thing about this site is that EVERYONE is a paid member. So obviously you don't have the creeps out there just trying to get a one night stand. I don't know about you but if I'm going to be paying a membership to use a service, I'm going to be serious about it. There is even a screening process and a photo verification process. I like this. It makes me feel a bit more secure about the person I might potentially meet. I think the biggest selling factor is that each member has the same mission in mind. Each person is looking for that person that they want to settle down with for life. No one night stands. No random hookups. It's like-minded individuals being able to find each other a little easier. I think I'm going to join. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Gimme the boot!

I am dying for a new pair of boots. The problem is, I can't find any ANYWHERE. Oh sure, I've found some beautiful pairs but none of them fit me. I don't have fat legs but I have thick legs. Boots aren't made for a woman who has a muscular calf on her. The problem is, with me moving to the Netherlands, it's a must to have a killer pair of boots but I most definitely cannot find a pair over there. The Dutch are notorious for their long, beautiful legs. I'll keep looking. There is bound to be some shoe designer out there who keeps bigger girls in mind.

Retrospect thinking

I was going back and going through my finances the other day and trying to see if I've been successful at saving money. All in all, I think I've done very well. I was worried that I went a bit overboard at Christmas but I really tried to be careful and get the best deals on my purchases. I started early with browsing the thanksgiving ads on the Black Friday sites and I made a list of each item I wanted and in which store it was located. When you're trying to save money, planning is the key factor. You can't really be spontaneous where money is concerned when you're on a budget. I'm a big fan of Target so I wanted to know well in advance everything that Target was going to have to offer in their Christmas Madness/Black Friday sale. The use of Black Friday ads was extremely beneficial in helping me to adhere to my budget that I'd enforced upon myself. This was the first year I'd ever done my planning online versus waiting for all of the print ads to come out. I can guarantee you, this will now be my routine.

Let's face it, for most of us, our lives are pretty much computer based. We do our jobs on computers, we manage our finances on computers and we even do our shopping on computers. So it makes perfect sense for me to be able to sit down and plan out a shopping strategy on the computer. I certainly hope they keep these sites active and promote them as much next Christmas as they did this previous holiday season. I'll still be on a budget and I'll also be 5,000 miles away from my family so I'm going to have to save money in any way that I can. Shipping charges are a real killer!!

Out with the old

I've been going through my closet in the attempts to weed out things that are not necessary for me to take to the Netherlands when I move. Can you imagine how difficult this is for me? I want to take EVERYTHING. My entire wardrobe. I even want to take the things I haven't worn in over a year because you know... I might eventually want to wear that sweater that went out of style three years ago. I might come back in style in the next 10 years. Clothes do that. They go through cycles. What was popular in the 70s is now coming back and is geared as "retro". Nevertheless, retro or not, I'm going to get rid of things. One of the key importances in fashion is knowing when to let go and say no to a particular item, no matter how much we love that item. Now the shoes and purses...well that's a different story! They're ALL going with me and I don't care if I have to pay an extra $100 to take a third piece of checked luggage. Nobody comes between me and my purses!

An Educational Moment

While I am not the perfect specimen of fitness, I do try to lead a somewhat healthy lifestyle. Having worked in cardiology for nearly 12 years, I know the benefits of living a heart-healthy lifestyle. Heart disease is the number one cause of death amongst women and more often than not, it's a silent killer. Most women don't ever think to get a cardiology work-up and therefore have no clue that they could be suffering from heart disease which can easily be corrected with diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and sometimes moderate medication regimes.

Whole Foods Markets has entered the world of health education by starting their Heart Health podcast. I think it's wonderful that a grocery store is stepping to the plate and attempting to educate consumers on the dangers of heart disease as well as providing greatly needed information on what can be done to prevent heart disease. Please follow the above link and check for further information regarding this podcast. Become educated and aware and realize that we as women owe it to ourselves to learn as much as possible about this disease that can be beat!

Happy Whatever Day

While I don't celebrate Valentine's Day (primarily because I never get anything on this day and never have the privilege of gazing at a dozen long stemmed roses or a new piece of jewelry or even a romantic sappy card) I sincerely hope that those of you who happen to love the day, have a very wonderful day. For those of you who are in the same boat as myself, then I hope you have a wonderful February 14th and that maybe next year you and I will both stand a chance at being able to be a participant in the day's romantic gestures.

Cruising...

One of my favorite forms of exercise is bike riding. Now mind you, I'm no Lance Armstrong. I don't get into the deep down nitty gritty of biking. I like to ride a bike for the relaxation of it. I also get the benefit of exercise while I'm relaxing. For these reasons, I'd love the style of cruiser bikes. I can choose from either multi-speed or single speed. Frankly, for me, one speed is just enough. I don't need 10 speeds or 3 speeds. I just want to pedal and go. Being in Florida, we have the perfect weather for bike riding (well most of the time). However, this is going to be much different when I move to the Netherlands in a few months. Now mind you, the Netherlands is THE BIKE capital of the world however I don't think my beach cruiser bike would fit into the fast pace biking rituals of the dutch system. The Dutch people are extremely serious about bike riding. It's not a fitness routine for them. It's transportation. It's a daily necessity. They have entire parking garages that are just for bikes. But I digress.

I'd still like to have a bike to keep here for when I'm back visiting the family. It would give me something to do when I'm with the niece and the nephews. They love to get on their bikes and just ride off into the sunset. I can't think of a better way to spend time with them then all four of us just pedaling away.

Pass the Puffs Plus Please

Well 2008 has not been friendly to me so far. I've been plagued with a delightful cold that seems to be the gift that just keeps on giving. I keep trying to work on a fitness regime but I've not made it that far yet. YET. It will happen. Once I can finally breathe again, I will be getting out there and trying to tone up some of this winter build-up that I've accumulated. I love me and I love my body but I'll love it a wee bit more when there is a touch of tone and definition to it. All in good time. All in good time.

Family Plans

My family is already talking about how soon they'll be able to come over and visit me in the Netherlands. I told them that they were welcome whenever they wanted to visit...as long as they were sure to make Hotel Reservations. Space is at a premium in most Dutch homes and the home I'll be living in is no exception to that rule. Not to mention I don't think my Dad will be up for maneuvering three or more flights of stairs...very narrow stairs at that. Irregardless, I will love having my family over to visit. It'll be great to show them all of the same wonderful sites I've been able to see during all of my many trips to Europe. Hopefully airline tickets will quit skyrocketing and mellow out a bit before that happens though. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed on that one.

Changes...all for the good!

I'm trying to get better with my posting here. It's been a rough start to the new year as far as time allotments go. I've started school and that takes up more of my evenings that I thought. I'm also in the middle of planning a big move for June 24th. I will be relocating to the Netherlands. That's right. New life, new country, new city, new surroundings, old friends and new friends! I'm excited to say the least. Of course once I move, I'll be able to get a more up close and personal look into the latest European fashions in clothing and accessories. The good thing is, the clothing industry as a whole is becoming more and more aware of the fact that not every woman is a size 2. It's much easier to find plus-sized clothing lines now. Clothing stores dedicated to plus sized fashions are also more plentiful. I'm going to have to put myself on an extremely strict budget. Purses and shoes and clothes.....OH MY!!

Don't forget

When you're doing your shopping for your Valentine, don't forgot to use the online coupons made available to you at CouponChief.com Seriously, I learned at Christmastime just how much money I can save by copying and pasting a simple coupon code. I'll probably make my niece and nephews my Valentines this year. I can never go wrong when I pick them out something at KB Toys. They've often got great deals on the video games that they're so into right now. Of course if I pick up a few things for my mom and sister at Old Navy, I'll be sure to score a few extra points as well. I may not have a romantic Valentine's Day but that's alright. I'll still be giving and getting lots of love either way!

Sexy!

You Are Thong Panties

Woman, you are one hell of a ride! You're a total wild child - and you live for crazy times. Men are attracted to you like flies to honey, even though they know they should stay away. You need a expert cowboy who can keep in tune with your free spirit!

What Kind of Panties Are You?

I adore thong panties! No panty lines. What could be better than that? Plus, I think they make me feel sexy. Ok, so maybe I don't look like Heidi Klum in a pair of thongs but hey, we're all different. Sexy is a state of mind, right?

The day approaches quickly

Once again, it's about that time of year. The time of year where everyone gets all of the beautiful flowers and the chocolates and the valentines day teddy bear. I want flowers. I want chocolates. I want the cute valentines day teddy bear. I am so tired of not being in a relationship when Valentine's rolls around. I need to start making sure that my relationships last through December into around March. I can handle getting nothing on my birthday but the most romantic day of the year? Yeah, it's definitely not cutting it with me. Something has to change here! Oh and any men reading this.....DO NOT forget to get your girlfriend/wife/significant other/mistress... whatever she is, something great for V-Day!

Practice what you preach!

I have always been one to preach about skin care and the importance of washing one's face with a good face soap. I now know why. I have been out of my normal face wash for over a week now. I've just been washing with whatever I could find in the shower. BAD BAD BAD! I have had two zits in one week! This is unacceptable. Making mental note to self... GO GET FACE WASH NOW!!!!!

A Discovery Moment

Here is today's Great Discovery: www.ZenniOptical.com. I'm loving the selection of frames available to me at Zenni Optical. Zenni's low prices can be attributed to the fact that there is no middle man. They sell only their own frames direct to the customer. I don't have to pay every Joe Schmo's salary down the pike. Works for me. I've been in the market for some new frames for quite a while and so I think I'm going to have to see just exactly what Zenni has for me. You know me...any reason to shop!

Coming back

Yes, I know. I've been in a bit of a New Year's slump here at Embracing...

I'm working on some new ideas and new projects and I hope to do some great things with this blog. I took a bit of a beating from Google so it's a lot of work to get things back on track. I'm getting there though. Slowly but surely. Besides...good things are worth waiting for.