Giveaway: Under 200 Entries; Less than 24 hours Left!

Recently I reviewed Google+ for Dummies. For a chance to win your own copy, please use the Rafflecopter entry form below. This giveaway ends on January 31, 2012 (12:01 a.m. EST 2/1/12) and is open to US  residents only.  Winner will be notified via email on February 1, 2012 and will have 48 hours to respond. If they do not respond, another winner will be selected under the same conditions.

I received this book free from the publisher in order to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR 255.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Flock Together Blog Hop 1/31

Originally published in 2012 as part of a weekly blog hop — a kind of online meet-and-greet where everyone shared a post and wandered from blog to blog.

Welcome to my "no rules" button blog hop! To participate, simply...

1. Link up: Click on "Click here to enter" at the bottom of this post and follow the Linky Tools directions. In step 4, I recommend selecting "Auto Crop" and "From Web."
2. Find new friends: Click through the blogs and follow the ones you love (Google+, RSS, GFC, Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, etc.). Kindly pass by the ones you don't.

This week's "Fine Feathered Friend" and guest host is

Brooke at Blueberry Squash.

 I am currently a photographer, but my first love was history. I earned my first college degree in history back in 2002, and took away a lifetime love of reading, research, and learning. Everything I do in life is researched, and having a child is the biggest milestone in my life so far so extra work has gone into the planning, and will continue into the future as life progresses.I found myself with notebooks, and documents full of notes as I discovered all the things involved in becoming a parent and thought I would create a place to share them with other people out there looking for information.  From that idea this blog was born. This blog serves as my fun project to share what I find and a colorful bookmark list that I use often to revisit research done in the past. 

I first met Brooke through her Cupcakes and Cucumbers blog, which was named a Fine Feathered Friend in the  early days of Flock Together. Her photographs are beautiful and interesting, but the stories behind them are moreso! It thrilled me to find out that she's having a baby, and the concept behind this blog is quite innovative. I hope you'll follow her blog and this research project!

Would you like to be a "Fine Feathered Friend" and guest host? Click here to find out how! It's free and easy.

Need a little help?

• If this is all new to you, click here.
• If your goal is to find friends and gain followers, may I recommend that you also set a goal to find and follow a minimum number of blogs that interest you. Check back throughout the day to visit late entries that might be just your cup of tea! Leave a comment if you follow, and consider following back those who follow you.
• If you see empty boxes with red x's instead of pictures in the linky, try clearing your cache (Go to Tools > Internet Options > Under the General tab and Browsing History section, click "Delete"> check Temporary Internet Files > Delete > then refresh or reload Mom's Best Nest).

"Nicole's Method" Weight Update #2

Beginning Weight/Date: 201 lbs on November 26, 2011

Current weight: 194

Current amount lost: 7 pounds


Last week's challenge: Emotional Eating

Last week I noticed a pattern in my progress or lack thereof. I followed the guidelines easily and successfully on the weekend and experienced a dramatic loss. Then, with pressures at work and being without "good" groceries (it got pushed back by almost a week), I gained what I'd lost! Thankfully by the end of the week, I had a net loss of 1 pound, but it's discouraging to move two steps forward, one step back!

Last week's success: Not eating after 6 p.m.

While not perfect at it, I am doing fairly well with this. There's at least one day of my normal week on which I'm almost certain to miss supper because I'm away from 4:15 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. On that day and any others like it, I just accept that I won't be able to eat supper. Surprisingly, missing a meal does not kill me! And breaking the cycle of eating after the kids go to bed has been easier than I thought.


What I'm learning:

1. Man-sized portions are for men, not (most) women. Although I've struggled with my weight ever since I can remember, my mama has always been petite. I can't remember her ever struggling with her weight until later in life, and I still wouldn't call it much of a struggle. Only in my late 20's did I realize that she actually eats differently than I do: tiny portions all day long. She sometimes commented that restaurants served "man-sized" portions , and she frequently ate only half her meal. Now I understand that if I eat man-sized portions, I'll probably become man-sized ;)  

2. The answer to not gaining when I'm stressed is to rely on God, and I don't know why this is such a struggle for me. No matter, His mercies are new every day, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to start anew!