(the) Jebbica

This is one of the first times in my life I have started a diet and stuck with it.  After realizing just how much the homemade ice cream and fried foods had hurt me on Father’s Day, I decided to make a lifestyle change, and so far, trading this for that and taking up cooking at home instead of just “dieting” has really been a great help.  So here I am, 17 lbs less than when I started, and while it still seems like such a slow go, I can’t really argue with those results, can I?

Having our own garden both at home and at work has been a great help as far as staying on the right track.  Sure, I’m sure The Boyfriend is sick of it.  But I love it.  Squash, zucchini, red and green tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, okra…and soon there will be eggplant, bell peppers, etc.  And let me tell you: there are zillions of different ways to cook/eat them! I am just getting around to the most obvious method of them all: garden vegetable soup.  You really can’t go wrong with veggie soup…just chop up your vegetables, use whatever meat you want or none at all, clean out your refrigerator, and dump into the Crock Pot.  Healthy, easy, and can be frozen and eaten again and again.

As far as exercise goes, I always try to do active things outside: neighborhood basketball games, tennis, badminton, swimming, Frisbee…anything that gets me moving.  However, I am still quite embarrassed and ashamed that doing two solid minutes of jumping jacks for Wii’s “My Fitness Coach” almost killed me, and I have been too afraid to turn the game back on, afraid that Maya, the virtual trainer, will frown at me and let me know just how out of shape I actually am.  I have two rafting trips planned in the next three weeks: one for work, another with some friends.  And while rafting isn’t really physically demanding, I am nervous about wearing a bathing suit around other people.  I am good at covering up my areas-of-need, but swimsuits aren’t generally so forgiving.  Also, I’m white as a sheet.

Overall though, things are going well, and I hope I will see those last 32 lbs disappear in the coming months.  And as long as The Boyfriend is promising to buy me a new wardrobe when I reach my goal, I will have plenty of motivation!

How about you? Share your insights, tips, and progress!

To Whom It May Concern:

I have been a subscriber to Blender Magazine for quite some time now. Blender had a certain quality I really enjoyed in a music magazine: informative but not too elitist, snarky without being mean; it was an all-around happy day whenever Blender arrived in my mailbox. I always bended my ear to the “Songs to Download” list, laughed at the “Word!” segments, gobbled up reviews and interviews, and always read it cover-to-cover. So, imagine my sadness when I learned that the Recession got to Blender, too!

However, if that weren’t enough, this month, instead of getting a copy of one of my favorite music magazines, I receive a copy of a magazine with an ad as the front cover that looks like it belongs in the Photoshop Awards (seriously: does the girl boxer on the right even have her head attached? It looks very unnatural.). Turn the page, and there is a topless woman; I have received a copy of Maxim Magazine. Now, if I had been a guy, I might have been delighted to receive this change of pace. But alas, I am a woman. And flipping through the pages of your magazine, I can hereby attest that there is nothing that remotely appeals to me about this magazine. I checked to see if any of my model friends had made it into your “Hometown Hotties” section, read the blurb about Anthony Bourdain (agreed that he’s awesome), and that was about it. The articles didn’t appeal to me, the ads certainly didn’t appeal to me (male enhancement? C’mon!), and the food and fashion sections literally turned my stomach. Now, I don’t want you to think that I am a prude or some uber girly-girl; I have friends who write for AskMen.com and read that on a regular basis because I like to get inside the male psyche and learn all I can about men, their view on women, and relationship advice from another point of view. However, from the looks of this very unappealing magazine that was sent to me, if I were going to subscribe to a male magazine; I’d order Playboy. The articles are more interesting.

I apologize if this offends anyone, but I do not wish to receive any more copies of Maxim Magazine. If there is another magazine at your company you could send in its stead, I would greatly appreciate it. If you have to send me a refund, please do. If you have old copies of Blender from earlier than 2005, I’d take those instead, too. Just please don’t send any more Maxims to my door! I hope you understand.

Most sincerely,

Jessica P. Wallin

On my way home from work yesterday, I was listening to The Clark Howard Show, which has become a bit of a daily ritual.  If you read my blog regularly, you know I’m a huge fan of saving money and getting the best things I can for the lowest prices.  He was talking about a couple of places online where you could buy eyeglasses for around $8.  I assumed he meant just the frames, but I rushed to look up those sites when I got home nevertheless.

Sure enough, there are websites that sell eyeglasses for $8, including a prescription lens, anti-scratch coating, full UV protection, 1.57 index lens, hard eyeglass case, and a cleaning cloth.  I thought they would all be hideous, and some of them are, but different frames fit different people, so I was happy to see such a wide variety.  The shipping on one site is a flat $4.95, no matter how many pairs you order.  After reading SEVERAL reviews, the only disadvantages I can see are the wait time (generally 2-4 weeks to ship), and not getting to try something on before you buy it.  But, c’mon.  For 8 bucks, is that really something to complain about?

One such site is EyeBuyDirect, which has frames starting at $7.95.  Not a lot of selection, though.  However, the one I’m really excited about is a place called ZenniOptical, which has, when you add the different color combos to the frame choices, hundreds to choose from for $8.  See the picture above? $8 Zenni specs, and trust me: I am getting some of those!  What do you think, though: brown, or black?  For $8, I can get both!

Another problem I thought I would have was similar to when The Boyfriend went to a local place that did glasses for $24.95.  For a prescription as strong as mine, then with reduced thickness lenses, etc., it would have been over $250 for me to get any from that “discount” place.  However, Zenni offers up to a -8 (which is what my left eye is) in their basic price.  I am getting more and more excited about trying these out as I await getting my prescription and measurements from my optometrist on Monday (he seemed pretty excited about the sweet deal, as well).

As far as the quality goes, I’m not expecting designer frames for my money.  However, my current glasses are Armani (they were legally free, but that’s another blog), and from what I can tell, plastic is plastic.  Reviews have been positive regarding the quality of both the frames and the lenses.  I watched a guy on YouTube, who had bought a pair of titanium glasses from Lens Crafters for $315.  “And here is my pair from Zenni…as you can see, they look exactly the same.  Actually, I can see a little bit better out of the Zennis.”  He paid $55 for 2 pairs.

So, I am planning on ordering a pair or four and will give you a follow-up.  But since I was so excited to hear about this, I thought others would be, too.  Don’t waste your money if you don’t have to, right?

Thanks, Clark!