We’re having a very busy weekend here, quite a change from our usually laid-back ones. Raine and Skye were out of the house at the crack of dawn this morning on a cross-country run at school. They looked for all the world like they were going to climb Mount Everest with caps and sunblock on and heavily-laden backpacks of sandwiches and cans of sports drinks.

Five kilometers, a steep slope, scorching sun and 90+ degrees out can be pretty tough. But they had fun. Skye came home with a headache, sore muscles and bursting with exciting stories to tell – tired but happy Raine had introduced her to some of her friends.

Raine was nursing the beginnings of a sore throat and too tired to talk much. I too had a splitting headache from my grocery morning at Tesco where their specialty is to suffocate the customer with their barely-there air-conditioning.

Steev attended two farewell dinners for his friends who’ll be leaving for college in Tasmania and Australia next month. Tomorrow he’ll have his first taste of driving school – a full day of driving instruction. Not sure why it takes a whole day, it’s not like they’re teaching the kids to do rv repair !

It’s a very busy weekend but we’re having fun. How’s your weekend going?

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Can’t believe you’re here, Friday, how long I’ve waited for thee! I’m off to the gym in a bit. I really need to get back into the swing of things. It’s not hard as I’ve only stopped since Christmas Eve !

When I was there Monday, my gym buddies abandoned their talk about glucosamine hcl and their complaints about school and kids to tease me about slacking off for 3 whole weeks . I jumped on the scale and nope, I haven’t gained any weight . It’s hard for picky eaters to put on weight.

Anyhow it’s great to be back working those muscles again. And of course, like I always say, the endorphin rush is what breaks me out of my perspiration.

Guess what, the secret to those amazing Michelle Obama arms is out.

The workouts are not hard but they’re pretty intensive. I tried them out and they’re certainly worth a try if you love wearing tanks as much as I do.

The thing though is that fitness gurus tell us we can’t spot reduce and that we need to do a total workout whether it’s to lose belly fat or to get those incredibly toned arms sans those telltale jiggles!

I finally got off my butt and hit the gym this morning. Yep, after what seems like two weeks of playing hooky. If I sit around any longer, I swear I’m going to need diet pills.

Speaking of which, I came across an interesting article today on BBC News. Researchers from the UK and US say if you want to stay slim, you shouldn’t hang out with fat friends because they are going to make you obese too.

I think there’s some truth to that. Case in point, my roomie at college was plump and her boyfriend was not. But over time, I noticed he got fatter and was looking to be her size.

Now between me and my roomie, she was the better cook. So she did most of the cooking while me and her boyfriend did most of the eating. We would sit around the dinner table, chat and eat and eat, a lot.

After a while, I could feel my clothes getting tighter. Living with her was definitely making me fatter. Thankfully it wasn’t as drastic for me as it was for her boyfriend. But even then, I definitely gained weight and noticed a change in my eating habits.

Tam Fry of the UK Obesity Forum says in the article that “it boils down to shared bad habits. If you go to dinner with your friends who are fat, you are liable to eat the same foods that made them fat. Research shows children could also pick up bad habits from their parents.”

When my picky eaters were little, I would say “don’t be picky, this is good for you”, and I’d be happy when they polished up what I served them. Now that they’re teens, I’m insisting they be picky and “you shouldn’t be eating that, that’s bad for you” .

Okay, here’s my rant for the week. I’ve got to get this off my chest so I can start Monday with a smile . Okay, let’s face it, we’re a society of copycats, blatant ones at that. I’m a rebel and a non-conformist so I find copycats very uncool!

Well, there’s this woman at the gym. I don’t know her and have never spoken to her. Friday before last, she was there and by all appearances, it seemed like she was working out on a bench across the room from me.

I wouldn’t have noticed her if she’d actually been working out like everyone else. But she was just lying there on the bench, her head turned in my direction, her eyes fixed on me, watching me intently.

Last Friday, she was there again, only this time she was unashamedly doing all the exercises that she’d watched me do the Friday before. Am I over-reacting? How do I know she’s copying me?

Well, because I’ve been at that gym long enough to know what workouts everyone else does, and most people just keep to the same old, same old. Well, me being the wierd one, I’m always changing my routines and doing workouts that no one else does.

Point is copycats piss me off, and this woman was so in my face! I wish she would just quit the gym and go back  to her weight loss pills. I mean, those of us who are regulars do get together and exchange notes about how we’re doing with different routines and then we go ahead and try what works for the other person.

But this woman walks in there, spies on people, steals their ideas and makes like she pioneered them .

Going to the beach but frankly, who wants to be seen in last summer’s swimwear? Not when this cute little number is now so affordable.

Deux FM Lulu String Bikini $96 $68

With this bikini, you’re not only saving money, you’re saving the Earth. Made of recycled soy linen and an organic cotton blend with a small amount of spandex for fit, it’s cute, comfortable and durable for all summer outdoor activities. You get a free eco-friendly bikini pouch with your bikini purchase.

Azuri Ombre Organic Cotton Sarong $225 $49

This 100% organic cotton sarong is perfect for a day at the beach. You can tie it as the waist for the longer, more elegant look, or just under the armpits for a shorter, more sexy look. You can adapt this sarong any number of ways – wear it as a scarf, with a crop top or even use it as a blanket cover for the baby when you travel.

There’s 50 vivid colors to choose from, yes, and they’re all so pretty. Like Hip2bDad says, if you can’t decide, just take all the colors ! Definitely music to my ears! Now go visit Nimli’s Winter Final Sale for 70-75% discounts on a whole host of items for women, kids and babies, and also for your home before they’re all sold out.

Woo-hoo, this is the beginning of the last week of my 30-day vegetarian diet. Again I couldn’t wait to jump on that weighing scale this morning. Looks like I’ve gained back another 0.5kg (1 lb) which is good.

Over the past week, I’ve upped my workouts so maybe I’m building more muscle, I don’t know. Anyways I started doing push-ups and of course, I embarrassed myself being the klutz that I am .

Man, push-ups are hard. They’re really hard to do because women have very little upper body strength. Dang, I feel like I’m pushing a bullock cart up a cobbled street. My arms are just screaming!!!

A gym buddy of mine was saying she seems to be building bulk in her arms. Actually that’s true, I notice that in mine too. Instead of getting thinner, they’re kinda bigger than before. Of course, neither of us wants to look like the Incredible Bulk but oh well, as she says, better bulk than ding-a-ling underarms, it really cracks me up when she says it like that !

My gym upgraded their equipment not too long ago. Before that, we were kinda in a rut doing the same old routines over and over. But now, the new equipment is motivating many of us to be more regular and to work harder.

Of course, I’m not half as hard-working as some of my gym buddies, who on days they can’t make it to the gym, will actually work out at home on their pedal exerciser or whatever small-scale equipment they have.

I know I can easily order all sorts of home equipment online from Allegro Medical. But I’m the kind of person that, hey if I miss a day or two or even a couple of weeks of workout, so be it! I’m not someone who exercises as an excuse to go on a food binge. That’s not the reason I exercise.