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Has it really been since July that I have blogged? So much has happened since then (all great things!) Just got back from taking the sophomore to cross country practice, and about to get the rest of the kiddos up for school...have an event to attend this morning for the Boys and Girls Club of Collin County at Neiman Marcus, but will be back early afternoon to blog my thoughts on a few things.

I am excited that I finally made the decision to lose this baby weight from the youngest son (ahem, he is FIVE now, so I guess he wouldn't exactly qualify as a BABY anymore...which is my point)once and for all! I joined Weight Watchers on his fifth birthday to make a commitment to be at a healthy weight again. I am currently a 31 BMI, VERY unhealthy. I gained as much weight (60 pounds!) with the others, but was always able to lose it within a reasonable time frame. This last munchkin did me in. Five years is NOT reasonable.

So, no more whining for me...I am already having great success...I am doing the core plan, and for me, it is SO easy because my challenge was trying to figure out how to account for the "bad" stuff I liked to consume; I know which foods are good for me, as I educated myself over the years. The core plan has it figured out how to make me accountable to the pizza, cream based pastas and other yummy things that should be consumed in moderation. I am SO pleased and would encourage those who want to be at their healthy weight to give it a shot!

So the event I am attending this morning is actually a benefit fashion show (for the BGCCC...I am on the committee for the Gala this year, which is 11/1 in Frisco featuring LeAnn Rimes) and you know what, it may not be that noticeable yet, but I already feel like a new women with the pounds I have lost. I am looking forward to it, actually! It's amazing what just making a decision to be a better "you" can do for one's energy and confidence levels.

Gotta go get kiddos ready...have a great day and I will write more later!

Erika

Ok, I have to say, that normally, I am not so impressed by food. I know my last blog was 100% about Bob Armstrong, an amazing appetizer from Mattito's. This blog is ALSO about food. But it's a whole new level...

First, let me say, that the most beautiful cook ever has her own television show. I am talking about Giada De Laurentis. She is...well, how do I accurately describe her...my fantasy chef...and is THE master at my favorite cuisine (Italian) because she IS. She was schooled in Paris, France, as a chef and has, thankfully, shared her findings with all of us common-folk. She and her husband, clothing designer Todd Thompson (he designs for Anthropologie), just welcomed their first child, a daughter, in late March. She is the granddaughter of acclaimed filmmaker Dino De Laurentis. Is there anything this superwoman can't do?!

Well, tonight, I made the most amazing spaghetti sauce. "Thank you, Giada!" It was HER homemade spaghetti sauce. I have to say it is the most amazing spaghetti sauce I have tasted, and OH so simple! Now, usually I have to add lots of parmesean cheese and usually do ground beef or turkey with a sauce, but tonight, it was neither. Just the recipe and (tried for the first time!) wheat spaghetti noodles. As Rachel Ray would say.... "Yummo!" And very healthy, to boot.

Matt and I have a small TV in our kitchen. It stays on Food Network contstantly. Thank goodness for that network!!

How do I love Bob Armstrong? Let me count the ways. Bob is a montage of so many things... all in one nice little package. He's meaty...cheesy...with a little sass mixed in...I love-me-some-Bob-Armstrong and I can't seem to stay away. Everytime I think I can just say no, alas, no control. Bob and I recently re-connected after many years absence and I am ashamed to say I am a tad obsessed now. He's so amazing that even my sweet husband approves! Lucky me!



It's ok! Bob is not some long-lost love or hottie who I've kept under wraps 'til now! Get your mind out of that gutter. Bob Armstrong is the off-the-menu tantilizing appetizer available at Frisco's newest gem-of-a-dining-experience, Mattito's. Located on the northeast side of booming Frisco Square, you can't miss the vibrant storefront that faces a busy Main Street. Their patio is always bustling, especially during happy hour. You can't help but smile when driving by. It is a welcome addition to that fast growing area of town. And the fact that it takes about three minutes to get there from my house? Oh boy. That's a whole 'nother conversation. (It's like when we moved in right across from the new SuperTarget, I just knew they would all be calling me by my middle name soon! It's just way to convenient. If I could JUST buy stock in ONLY the SuperTarget/Eldorado store...)

Let me tell you how I first heard about Bob Armstrong. I used to work at 99.5 The Wolf in Dallas, and my office was at Maple and Oaklawn. Mattito's, located in Uptown off Cedar Springs, was the first restaurant I ever ate at with some people from work. When Katherine, one of my co-workers ordered the Bob Armstrong, I inquired, "Where's THAT on the menu? I don't see it!" She smiled and answered as if she had THE best-kept-secret, "It's not! You just have to ask for it!" (Talk about word-of-mouth at its best!) The BA Dip consists of ground beef, guacamole, cheddar cheese and sour cream. Bob Armstrong may not sound like a genius creation, but it's the queso that makes it extraordinary, in my opinion. So creamy...it's SO delectable!

So go to Mattito's. Ask for Bob Armstrong. The server will know exactly what you want! My tip: I like to eat mine with corn tortillas instead of the chips. I can get more of BA on that tortilla than on a chip and in some crazy way, I can rationalize to myself that Bob Armstrong is just a "little" more healthy for me!

As one of my first radio sales managers told me many years ago, "The only thing constant (in life) is change." How true that is!

CHANGE: Many people thrive on it. Some learn from the past and use it to grow further in their personal or professional journeys. Others retreat and go into their own selves, depressed, face anxiety and become upset that their seemingly status-quo world has been turned upside down. How naive of people in that latter category to truly believe that life can stay at such a comfort level for any length of time.

I have never bought into the thought that "things as they are should stay that way; shaking things up is unwelcome; we've always done things this way/this is how they should always be." WHAT? Where is the LIVING with that? Where is the chance to experience a personal growth experience with that? Some of my favorite people are those who are constantly reinventing themselves. I think it takes so much drive and confidence to just "do" because they can. Not because others THINK they should; I am talking about those people being the instigators, the initiators, the LEADERS. Those that recognize a possibility that something could be better than it is now, not knowing how it might be done, but knowing they WANT it be done and can visualize a reality.

Think about some of the most influential people in history...how about Alexander Graham Bell, for example? Do you think he knew HOW he was going to invent the first telephone device? He just knew he was GOING to do it and believed. And he did! Thomas Edison...where would we be without his huge contribution to our world? It's mind boggling to think of all the greats throughout history who didn't know how something would be accomplished, but they just knew they would "figure it out." They didn't want to be happy with the status quo.

Recently, I said goodbye to the corporate world (which goes along with bye-bye to the corporate paycheck!) to venture out on my own. For almost 19 years (see my first blog below), I have been involved in so many areas of the media and have helped countless business, small and large, grow to new levels. One thing has been consistent with every job I took throughout that time: I wanted to help businesses grow. I wanted to be their "idea" person; I didn't just want to sell them something. The companies I worked for were (very good!) vehicles for helping them get there, each with their own merits and drawbacks. MANY, many times I referred other media and other solutions that didn't net me a dime, because I knew it was in the best interest of the client. I know the power of "what goes around, comes around" and I have never been proven wrong with that thought.

So, here I am, starting my own ad agency/marketing firm focusing on small to mid-sized businesses, really wanting to target Frisco businesses. I am literally *just* getting started, and I know I have the determination to make this successful. I see it. And I am so excited! It's very liberating. I'm passionate about helping other people succeed; that will never change. It's who I am.

No better time like the present, right?

Taking a risk never felt so good.