Same reason other folks don’t get fat:  they eat a bunch of vegetables, right?  They eat nuts and berries, a few twigs, some tomatoes and lettuce, maybe and a handful of vitamins for good measure–and protein.  Am I close?

Well…sort of.  Loosely based on the bestselling book, French Women Don’t Get Fat, I think the concept is the same.  If you enjoy the process (good exercise) and enjoy the produce (healthy food) than you’re halfway there.  But there’s more to eating than mere consumption.  Concentrating on the depth of flavor in your earthly beets, the crisp sweetness of your corn, the buttery texture of your potatoes and oh-so-sweet onions, you begin to immerse yourself in the pleasure principle.

It’s like I tell my children.  “Everything in moderation.”  Now granted this is merely my way of letting them know it’s okay if Mom dips into the candy bowl.  It’s okay if she drinks a glass of wine (or two).  It’s okay.  Everything in moderation.  I find it’s a fabulous rule to live by because as an experienced dieter I can tell you:  denying yourself something you adore is not smart.  In fact, it goes against human nature—or feeds into it.  You know as well as I do that the minute you tell yourself you can’t have something—you want it.  You crave it.  All of a sudden, it becomes the most important thing you need to eat right now! 

Very bad as we approach bathing suit season.  Piling M&M’s into your mouth is not helpful to your figure, or your heart, your stomach…  So stop right now.  (No, not eating M&M’s.)  Stop denying yourself and give in to decadence!  Luxuriate in a glass of Cabernet, a handful of dark chocolate, a three-layer cake of dense delight, the sugary sweet frosting from a cupcake.  Enjoy it—leisurely.  Don’t rush.  Don’t get crazy.  Simply enjoy…….

You’ll find that once you remove the “desire triggers,” you’ll be able to eat what you desire AND remain slim.  I don’t know about you, but all veggies and no sweets make for a very dull girl.  And I don’t want to be dull!  I want to be delightful and happy.  Cause remember—when momma ain’t happy, nobody’s happy.

It’s true in my household.  How about yours? :)

p.s.  Pssst….  Don’t tell anyone, but that chocolate mousse is actually GOOD for you.  Uh, huh.  It’s made from avocados though you’d never know it from tasting it!  Follow this link for this and other cool healthy recipes.

First off all i want to thank ya’ll for the awesome response on our review on the baby registry ideas. Now we will talk about something more interesting.

When raising kids, there’s something you must learn early on:  men and women are different.  Now this may seem obvious to you at first glance.  Duh.  But it doesn’t really hit home until you start diverging on how the day-to-day business of life is conducted with respect to said children.  Moms and Dads can sometimes have VERY different opinions on what’s best for their children.

Do they fight back on the playground or walk away?  Is it okay for boys to cry?  Okay for girls to play football?

How about riding dirt bikes at the age of five?  Gasp.  “Five, did you say?”

Yep.  For some Dads, riding dirt bikes is no different from riding a bike.  Well, not really anyway.  Now as a mother you first instinct may be to jump up and down and scream “No way!  My baby’s not going to do anything so dangerous!”

Most fathers will wait the woman out at this point and when they sense you’re finished with your emotional tirade, they’ll quietly tell you that they rode a dirt bike at age five and by seven, were cruising the neighborhood on their own en route to their friend’s house.  They will also remind you about all the potential for injury kids have on regular bicycles, swimming pools, baseball, soccer….  The list goes on.

Now that you’ve caught your breath, you rethink your position.  Seems husband wants this dirt bike thing to happen.  Do you have the right to demand otherwise?  After all, it’s his kid, too.  And you didn’t marry a man without a good head on his shoulders.  You know your husband wouldn’t do anything to purposefully harm your child.  So where do you go from here?

You go to the flat track.  That’s where kids and adults alike race their dirt bikes and have the time of their life.  At first your tentative on the trip out to the track.  Not knowing what to expect, you pack your anxiety into your back pack and zip it closed.  It’s still close enough to pull out when warranted, but hidden from public view.  It’s not like you want to embarrass your son.  If he’s going to do this thing, you want him to have a good time without the distraction of his crazy mom.  More importantly, if you don’t keep your angst under wraps, you won’t be invited back.

Unthinkable.  But I must confess, when the first ten-year-old laid down in his bike as he took the curve, his little rag-doll of a body sliding across the dirt track right in front of me, I almost yanked my back pack of nerves open and called it quits.  My son was in the next heat!

But this young man was not hurt (though there was a medic on site in the event he was injured).  Instead, he brushed the dirt from his uniform-clad knees (these kids are decked head to toe in full protective gear — including steel bottom boots, chest protector, neck brace, helmet — the works!) and marched right off that track returning moments later with his “back up” bike whereby he jumped back into the race and finished with dignity.  Kids.  Go figure.

Before anyone was the wiser, I quickly stuffed my worry back into its pack and resumed vigilance as spectator.  “Take another breath, dear.  You’ll be all right.”  :)

Phew.  I only have one thing to say after a weekend like this one.  For those of you who aren’t parents, beware:  parenting isn’t for sissies.  And from what I understand, it only gets harder as they get older.  I can’t even imagine the anxiety that will become my “norm” when the kids are driving.  And I thought dirt bikes were worrisome!

“Take another breath, dear.  Just breathe.”

Virginia!  Congratulations on winning my garden-inspired giveaway ~~ the sure-fire way to get you fired-up for the garden season. :)  And thanks to all who entered.  I appreciate you stopping by!  And the grand prize winner…

YJ!!  Woohoo ~~  the eReader and $25 gift card are yours!  And just in time for the summer vacation.  You’ll be kicked back and relaxed as you read from your slim and trim, sleek new tablet.  Ahhh…  Don’t let the waves hit it!

And congratulations to ALL who won across the 70 author sites.  Not only did you gain a bounty of gardening tips, fab new recipes and wonderful new authors, many of you won prizes along the way!  For a full list of winners, head on over to A Cozy Reader’s Corner where Tiffany will post the entire list of prizes and winners.

Thanks again to one and all for making this First Annual Authors in Bloom Spring Blog Hop a HUGE success (yes, you read that right  — there will be more to follow!).  Without energetic readers like you, we authors would be nowhere.  Okay, crazy ones like me would still be writing, forcing their daughter to read, baby, read!  But honestly, without loyal readers? Authors go nowhere fast.  Hopefully you all enjoyed your “hop” and will join us again next year. :)

Can’t wait.  Until then, happy spring and wishing you the discovery of many wonderful new books and new authors.  It’s an addiction, I know.  One I can’t seem to kick!