First - the give ups.......

oh well now where this picture yesterday?  this was my mardi gras mask from last year.  not very flattering on the nose....and kinda freaky overall......but nonetheless it would have worked perfectly for fat tuesday. 

ok - so part of the 40 days and 40 nites of change are the give ups.  its neat to hear what everyone is planning on giving up - what they consider such an addiction that they want it out of their lives - at least for a little while.  every year my brother gives up practically everything - booze, junk food, chocolate - you name it.  he says its all the "fun" stuff we eat.  he makes up these crazy rules too - like he can't have a granola bar b/c its too much like a treat - but he'll eat banana bread b/c its fruit and bread..........he loses a ton of weight too.  of course come Easter he adds it all back into his system.  its fun to watch.  

so this year there are a few of us on the "hefty" side so we are having a contest....sorta like the biggest loser...actually just like the biggest loser.  everyone puts in $10 and the person who loses the most weight percentage wins it all.  see - Lent can be fun!

my give ups are as follows: 

no coffee - oy vey this is the hardest for me - hands down

no soda - i'm not a soda person in general but lately i've been drinking it a lot!

no cakes or cookies or chips or pretzels or anything junky like that.

oh and the computer.....once a day and that is it.  of course i can't put a time limit on it b/c some days i have a lot to do on it) - but once i shut it down - it is shut down for the nite.

for most people this isn't hard.  for others its too extreme.  but i need to be this strict so i can feel a temptation - some discomfort and longing and work through it.  lately i am all ID driven...if i want it i eat it.  i want to rewire that part of my brain.  i love food and trying new tastes and flavors...but lately i'm loving the bad stuff.  i want to love the good stuff again.

my husband is giving up similar stuff.  the boys are even getting in on it (my oldest is giving up cake).  the youngest is limiting his computer/video time.

 
so that is part one.  so far so good. 

but then its only day 1

......out of 40







what i was thinking with that pic?  :-)

check back tomorrow for an update on hearts for haiti!  its time to send the blankets!!!