ErinB

Becks - Some people just don't get it! I think we may have figured out that your step mom is a polygamist and also married to my father. She made a big deal about paying for their trips only to the wedding, but now she is paying for one of step sister's friends to go so she has a roomie. Why not my aunt who just lost her job instead of some stranger? Anyway my daily wedding SNAFU is with my shower. FI's mom offered to host one for me (since none of FI's family is coming). Well, I'll be dammed if FBIL's FI isn't having her shower the same day! The are getting married 3 weeks before us and are "stealing our thunder" for sure with his fam. I just started laughing when I heard! We have nothing that is our own with his family! Oh and I don't think I'm invited to her shower either

Double check my math... If each carrot is 500 points x 8 weeks = 4,000 points needed. If there are 22 of us losers that would be 4000/22=181.82 points that we would all need to donate to Ann for our "Trophy Fund". I can swing 200 points. That's like an hour of BDW time for me! What do you think?

I am going to include postcards in our OOT bags. I'm thinking 2-3 each so they can send one back to us with their favorite memory from the trip. My question is, Do I put anything on the front other than Jamaica? If they are sending them to friends and family I don't know that I want our wedding logo or names plaster across the front. Any opinions? Anyone have a cute saying? I'm over-thinking again, aren't I?

I have been there so many times! One of our biggest challenges is that I am super out-going and always doing 18 things at once. Fi is more reserved and loves to stay home. After being in the house for more than about 30 hours I freak out! I take mini-breaks about once a month. We have a girls bunco club that usually turns into a slumber party because of too much wine. My MOH and I take a weekend trip every year, just the two of us. Last summer we got into a huge fight, too much stress from life in general, and I moved into my mom's house for a week. Since then we both have been better about communicating and making time for each other. I've been getting "itchy" lately and FI is kinda making me nuts--he just doesn't get why the wedding is so important to me. His family has been less than supportive and he keeps telling me to pick up the slack! Talk about feelings of resentment. My bachelorette party is this weekend and could not have come at a better time! If you're in Chicago, stop on by!

I know how you feel Janet! But, now you have to post pictues of your lovely OOT bags so we can come to you for advice!

I can't wait to see pics! All of these great BD shots are inspiring me! Though I guess if the book got out it could stop you from running for public office...

I swear men get it too! I don't know what it is but they just get crappy and whiny, etc. We call it the M-eriod (man-period). I love getting that call, "Mark is having his Meriod so I need to get out of the house tonight. What do you want to do?"

Should we have a prize for the weekly winner? Not a monetary prize but a gift or Icon or something in the siggy?

Hey all! I'm probably one of the guilty parties from not sending in the scale pic last week! The good news is that I now have the camera cord, the bad news is FI deleted all of the pics so no scale. Should we keep the offender at the last pictured weight? I'm ok with that. At the beginning it might not be much but as we get in to the swing of healthy habits it might! If we do this (especially at first) it should help everyone stay on the ball. Just a thought... Welcome back Ann! Hope you had a wonderful mini-vacation! Hopefully you won't have to look at chunky girl photos much longer! Good luck tomorrow, everyone!

I'm on this crazy medication because my reproductive system hates me. So, technically right now, I'm in menopause. Not having cramps, bloating, spotting, etc. is worth the hot flashes! I really am ok with never having a period again! If I didn't want kiddos I'd be all about a hysterectomy!

Here are a few e-mail letters that you might find amusing: An email to Feminine Products Providers Dear Kotex, I recently noticed that the peel-off strip of my panty liner had a bunch of "Kotex Tips for Life" on it. Annoying advice such as: -Staying active during your period can relieve cramps. -Avoiding caffeine may help reduce cramps and headaches. -Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day to keep you hydrated and feeling fresh. -Try Kotex blah, blah, blah other products Obviously the person behind this was someone who has never possessed a functioning set of ovaries. Go ahead and tell a menstruating woman TO HER FACE that drinking 6-8 glasses of water will help keep her feeling fresh. See what happens and report back. I'll wait. While you're at it, dump out the coffee at work and remove the chocolate from the vending machine. I guarantee that the first responders will be females who just ovulated. Look... females don't need or want tips for living on feminine hygiene products. Younger girls are already hearing "helpful" stuff like that from their elderly relatives. Veteran females have already concocted their own recipes for survival, many of which contain alcohol. Printing out advice while sneaking in ads for the brand THAT WAS ALREADY PURCHASED is just plain annoying, not to mention rude and enough to send a girl running to the Always brand. Mostly we'd like to forget that we even need these products. It's not a fun time, but DO NOT try to cheer us up by adding smiley faces or bunnies or flowery cutesy stuff to your products or the packaging. Put it in a plain brown wrapper so we can throw it in our carts discreetly and have it blend in among the wine and beer! There is nothing more annoying than having a blinding pink package announcing your uterine state to everyone in the store. The ultimate goal of your product should be functional invisibility at every stage, including at the point of purchase. So take your tips for living and shove them right up your ass. (Try drinking six to eight glasses of water to make you feel fresher while you're doing it!) Ovarily Yours, Miss PMS _______________________________ ACTUAL LETTER TO PROCTOR AND GAMBLE This is a letter written to one of the top executives at Proctor and Gamble. Means a bit more to the gals than the guys. Dear Mr. Thatcher, I have been a loyal user of your Always maxi pads for over 20 years and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the LeakGuard Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts. But my favourite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants. Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered from "the curse"? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my ‘time of the month’ is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call "an inbred hillbilly with knife skills." Isn't the human body amazing? As Branch Manager in the Feminine-hygiene Division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customers' monthly visits from "Aunt Flo". Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behaviour. You surely realize it's a tough time for most women. In fact, only last week, my friend Jennifer fought the violent urge to shove her boyfriend's testicles into a George Foreman Grill just because he told her he thought Grey's Anatomy was written by drunken chimps. Crazy! The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants... which brings me to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: "Have a Happy Period". "Are you f…..g kidding me?" What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness - actual smiling, laughing happiness - is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James? FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak girl, there will never be anything "happy" about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen's armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory. For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you just have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like "Put Down the Hammer" or "Vehicular Manslaughter Is Wrong", or are you just picking on us? Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending bullshit. And that's a promise I will keep... Always. Best, Wendy Aarons Austin TX

I have several of their catalogs. I used them for "inspiration" and ordered the items elsewhere if I could find them cheaper. For example, I loved the sandalwood fans. From EW they were almost $2 each. I found them for $.89.

My family is in Michigan, all over the detroit area and they have said the economy is in horrible shape. I'm guessing those were the lowest grossing stores. We have 2 here that are booming!

I don't get it! I mean really, what is the point? That would freak me out!

Pretty! I wondered what those things meant but never tried it...

We got engaged on our 5 year anniversary. After the wedding it will be 6+ years!

Wow! Great work! I'm also impressed you got them up so quickly!

I would have a parade! Think New Orleans jazzy funeral, but happy of course! There would have to be some costuming involved...I'd want them all to match. I wonder if you could give them away afterwards, like how people take centerpieces... Here's our goat! His name is Charlie!

I say the 1st and the last one, based on those pictures. But you do look great in all of them. Which one feels the best?

hardwood floors! Though FI hates them, he says they're too cold. Would you rather...Pay for all of a destination wedding or have a free wedding of your choosing at home? (I'm sticking with the DW)

This is what we had. A simple 8mm tungsten band in the gunmetal gray finish. He's a simple guy so he wants a simple, comfortable band.

Ok, so if I were a really superstitious person, I'd think the universe was trying to tell me something! We have had so many kinks in the plans so far and it's really getting irritating! The jeweler called today to tell us that FI's ring is no longer available. And, they don't know where they can find another one like it. Keep in mind this ring is already bought and paid for and was supposed to be in this week. So, we're off to find another one. FI is a large man so we have had a lot of trouble finding something that can come in a 15 and not cost a billion dollars. I hate it because he was excited to have found something he really liked. THanks for letting me vent ladies!

There is a salon in Chicago, TG Nails, that wraps your toes in saran wrap before you put your shoes on. It works although it feels kinda weird!

Both, but with not sugar. I don't get into this southern sweet tea thing! Favorite Beer?

Welcome! Mackinac is beautiful! I'm sure your wedding will be amazing!